Day 8:  December 23

Reflection on Luke 1: 57-66

Efren G. Palen, FP

            We know that every advent we read and hear the story of John the Baptist. What is the proper understanding of John his role with Jesus, and his role with us?

            For a proper understanding of John the Baptist and his role with Jesus, we can go to the best possible authority ‑ God. God sent the angel Gabriel to announce to Zechariah that he and his wife Elizabeth would have a child to be named John, who "will be great in sight of the Lord [and] even before his birth be filled with the Holy Spirit. He will turn many of the people of laid to the Lord their God. With the Vint and the power of Elijah he will go... to make ready a people prepared fir the Lord". John's role, then, was to announce the coming of Jesus Lake's gospel relates, how John, filled with the Holy Spirit leapt in his mothers womb when Mary, pregnant with Jesus, visited Elizabeth. After John's birth Zechariah proclaimed that he would "go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give the knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins". (Lk. 1: 76‑77)

            John grew up so dedicated to God that he lived in the wilderness, the traditional place for prayer and penance. As today’s gospel indicates, he started his mission at the Jordan River, urging people to turn away from sin and to prepare the way of the Lord. Large crowd gathered to listen and be baptized, and John directed them to open their hearths to the Savior soon to come. When Jesus came to Jordan and requested baptism, John recognized him as the Savior. He pointed Jesus out as the Lamb of God and introduced his own disciples to Jesus. When some of John's followers became concerned that Jesus was attracting more attention than John, John indicated that this was proper. Far from being jealous of Jesus, John was filled with joy and noted, "He must increase, but I must decrease (Jn 3: 30).

            What about John's rule with us? Jesus said that John "was burning and shining lamp". John teaches us devotion to Jesus, and the importance of helping people to know Jesus. John preached by word and example We, like John, are to five in such a way that our holiness leads others to Jesus. When other asked us about our faith in Jesus, we should sham our knowledge and love of the Lord.

            John the Baptist is for us a model of integrity. He refused to compromise with evil. When he saw that Herod Antipas, the nila of Galilee, had flouted Jewish law by marrying his sister‑in‑law, Herodias, John. denounced Herod had him thrown in to prison. John kept preaching until Herodias had him beheaded. John teaches us not to compromise with evil. When today's ‑poweW mock purity and promote culture of death, John invites us to stand up for holiness and justice.  John is an example of faithfulness in times of darkness and discouragement, Matthew's gospel relates how John, after being imprisoned by Herod, sent messengers to Jesus, asking if he was really the messiah (Mt. 11: 2‑6). Perhaps John expected that Jesus would have confronted Herod and destroyed him like chaff "with unquenchable fire Jesus sent back a reply explaining that he had come to bring God's mercy, feeling, and good news to the poor, John must have understood Jesus: there would be no angels sent from heaven to rescue him. But he accepted Jesus could praise him as the greatest of human beings (Mt. 11: 11). We may not be cast into prison as john was, but we can into bound by shackles of discouragement, fear or doubt. At such times, John the Baptist is a fight in the darkness, a beacon of hope and strength for us.

            These few lines are just a sampling of the many ways of the many stands for us as “a burning and shining lamp" I encourage you to respect on John's life during this advent season and to pray to John, asking him to help you imitate his devotion, his integrity, and his faithfulness.