June 24 - The Nativity of John the Baptist

 A different birthday

June 24 - The Nativity of John the Baptist

When we speak of a Saint's birthday we normally mean the day he was "born" to eternal life in Paradise - the day of his death, in other words. But John is different. His coming was foretold to his father, Zechariah, he was born of an old woman, and he not only was the forerunner of the Messiah but for many of those who heard him, he was the Messiah everyone was expecting! Quite a personality!

The First Reading is not about John but about the real Messiah - Jesus. But, in a way, it might be. The Sundays of Advent show us the commanding figure of the Precursor, striding along the banks of the Jordan river, calling on the people to repent. . . and getting a very appreciative response. It was a heart-warming experience and John might have been forgiven for taking the compliments paid to him. But he was too great for that." I am NOT the Messiah you expect," he said. " In fact I am not fit to stoop down and tie his shoe- laces"

The Responsorial Psalm as usual confirms the message in the Reading. The Lord is in charge of everything but in a loving way, not as a taskmaster. Apart from references to John the Baptist and the Messiah, we can make this Psalm part of our regular prayers.

The Second Reading finds Luke quoting our holy Patron . The incident occurred in one of Paul's early  speeches in a local Jewish synagogue during his first missionary journey. Paul is giving an outline of Jewish religious history up to and including John the Baptist. Up to that point everyone agrees with him. After that point - which is just hinted at here - he loses his audience as he begin to speak about Jesus. No surprise. Here was a smart young Rabbi, the synagogue leaders would have said (and did everywhere Paul went) who is preaching heresy. And they ran him out of town - more than once. So we have a Patron who understands our failure to preach the Good News of the Institute!

Finally, the Gospel describes the special events surrounding the birth of John. One point that has often been made is: why did they "make signs" to ask Zachary for the child's name? He had been struck dumb in the Temple when the angel appeared to tell him the great news. There is no indication that he was deaf. Whatever about that - one of the questions the Scripture experts like to write books about! - the child was called "John" and the neighbors were suitably impressed and the word spread far and wide: "What will this child be?" Very true, but. . . can we not say something similar about every child? ALL OF US, believe it or not, are special, with a special role in life and a special destiny. God does not massproduce. No one comes into the world just to add to the numbers but with a job to do and especially the "job" of preparing for  Paradise. So I ask myself, I ask you, how are we doing our jobs?

~ Concord June 2012