St John the Baptist - Help Us Prepare!
St John the Baptist enters the liturgy during Advent. I look for his appearance every year with great anticipation. Once I see him, I know it won't be long until Jesus comes on Christmas. It's exciting.
But it also reminds me I've got to prepare.
St John's two great feasts take place during the summer: his birthday on June 24th and the anniversary of his martyrdom on August 29th.
Did you miss those feasts last summer? No matter, you can remember him now, during Advent. As we prepare ourselves for the Divine Infant coming in just a few days, we can remember how St John the Baptist prepared Israel for the Messiah - the one for whom they waited for so many years.
In a world where it seems everyone's a "hero" or where we're looking for "role models" here is someone for us men to emulate: fearless, unconcerned with the comforts of this world, utterly devoted to God, passionate and untiring in his work, telling everyone who'll listen about Jesus. He lived for God and wanted to make sure others got the critical message about the importance of repenting for sin.
What did he get out of it? A "leathern girdle"? Locusts and honey?
Pitiful how I live, how I work, compared to him. Every little ache or hunger pang sears my body (Is it lunchtime yet?). Every setback throws my emotions into turmoil. Sometimes I have trouble steadying myself if something really goes wrong during my work day - mostly when things don't go "just so."
Even the weather can play havoc with me: too cold, too hot, too rainy, too windy, and on and on. Never mind the fact that for months I was despondent because yet another of our children was leaving our home (this one to go to grad school about 5 hours away).
I wonder how St John faced each new day. Did he stir slowly when he awoke, or just get down to business. Did he wonder what life was all about, or just start praying and working (ora et labora), oblivious to his own needs and feelings?
I suspect he had developed the habits and discipline to focus on God and forget his own needs and feelings. I don't suppose you wear animal skins and settle for grasshoppers and honey for your breakfast when you're thinking about yourself and fretting about your life a lot.
"Repent" he shouted. Many listened. Many didn't. Somehow this strange man calling on his countrymen to repent attracted crowds to the Jordan River. People had go far out of their way to see him, to be baptized by him. The message resonated.
Now in Advent, the message remains the same: repent, prepare for the Lord. Time grows short. He is coming soon.
Take a good long look at that soul you're preparing. Can you imagine Our Lady placing her precious newborn there, a clean, warm place for her Son, the Son of God? Or could it use some special scrubbing - a good examination of conscience followed by confession?
Don't let the busyness of business distract your mind and heart from your spiritual preparation for Christmas. Listen carefully and you'll hear the Baptist calling. Make the journey to the Jordan to see him and hear his message.
"I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." (Matthew 3:11-12)
John ultimately would face the power of Herod and death by beheading. But he never minced words. He worked for the greater glory of God through thick and thin, right up to the end.
His is the sort of example we Catholic men at work need during these days of Advent to keep our minds and hearts focused right where they belong: the manger in Bethlehem.
St John the Baptist, pray for us. Divine Infant of Bethlehem, come and take birth in our hearts.
But it also reminds me I've got to prepare.
St John's two great feasts take place during the summer: his birthday on June 24th and the anniversary of his martyrdom on August 29th.
Did you miss those feasts last summer? No matter, you can remember him now, during Advent. As we prepare ourselves for the Divine Infant coming in just a few days, we can remember how St John the Baptist prepared Israel for the Messiah - the one for whom they waited for so many years.
In a world where it seems everyone's a "hero" or where we're looking for "role models" here is someone for us men to emulate: fearless, unconcerned with the comforts of this world, utterly devoted to God, passionate and untiring in his work, telling everyone who'll listen about Jesus. He lived for God and wanted to make sure others got the critical message about the importance of repenting for sin.
What did he get out of it? A "leathern girdle"? Locusts and honey?
Pitiful how I live, how I work, compared to him. Every little ache or hunger pang sears my body (Is it lunchtime yet?). Every setback throws my emotions into turmoil. Sometimes I have trouble steadying myself if something really goes wrong during my work day - mostly when things don't go "just so."
Even the weather can play havoc with me: too cold, too hot, too rainy, too windy, and on and on. Never mind the fact that for months I was despondent because yet another of our children was leaving our home (this one to go to grad school about 5 hours away).
I wonder how St John faced each new day. Did he stir slowly when he awoke, or just get down to business. Did he wonder what life was all about, or just start praying and working (ora et labora), oblivious to his own needs and feelings?
I suspect he had developed the habits and discipline to focus on God and forget his own needs and feelings. I don't suppose you wear animal skins and settle for grasshoppers and honey for your breakfast when you're thinking about yourself and fretting about your life a lot.
"Repent" he shouted. Many listened. Many didn't. Somehow this strange man calling on his countrymen to repent attracted crowds to the Jordan River. People had go far out of their way to see him, to be baptized by him. The message resonated.
Now in Advent, the message remains the same: repent, prepare for the Lord. Time grows short. He is coming soon.
Take a good long look at that soul you're preparing. Can you imagine Our Lady placing her precious newborn there, a clean, warm place for her Son, the Son of God? Or could it use some special scrubbing - a good examination of conscience followed by confession?
Don't let the busyness of business distract your mind and heart from your spiritual preparation for Christmas. Listen carefully and you'll hear the Baptist calling. Make the journey to the Jordan to see him and hear his message.
"I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." (Matthew 3:11-12)
John ultimately would face the power of Herod and death by beheading. But he never minced words. He worked for the greater glory of God through thick and thin, right up to the end.
His is the sort of example we Catholic men at work need during these days of Advent to keep our minds and hearts focused right where they belong: the manger in Bethlehem.
St John the Baptist, pray for us. Divine Infant of Bethlehem, come and take birth in our hearts.
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