Scripture Reflections...Vigil of John the Baptist and Solemnity , June 23,24th.
Psalm 71:1-2.3-4.5-6.15.17. I Peter 1:8-12. Luke 1:5-17. Lectionary 3 586:
Our Vigil honoring John the Baptist helps us to prepare for the
Solemnity of his Birth tomorrow. The liturgical perspective of these
readings helps us to reflect upon his being prepared even during the nine
months within his mother's womb for the role that he will have in salvation
history as a precursor, herald, and witness for Jesus Christ. Jeremiah is
chosen as the prophet who is the proto-type of John in his call even before
he is born. Like Jeremiah, John the Baptist will accept the call but will
live more in the desert than in the Temple area surrounding Jerusalem.
John will be an ascetical prophet in the wilderness and will preach a
baptism of repentance. Like Jeremiah he will not marry but will be totally
dedicated to his call as a prophet and a preacher of conversion through a
ritual performed in the waters of the Jordan for the repentance of sin.
Psalm 71 has been carefully chosen to express the Psalmist's
reflection on his own conception and birth. The words are helpful for
relating them to the concerption of John: "On you, I depend from birth;
from my mother's womb you are my strength."
We know that the Epistle of I Peter is a baptismal homily and as such
is speaking about the time after the Baptist. It is focusing upon the
sacrament of Baptism in Christianity and not on John the Baptist's ritual
of baptism. If we are guided by the Spirit as the reading suggests we can
easily see how John too was led by the Spirit to do what he had to do as a
precursor to the Messiah. All of our reflection on this passage should be
guided by the Holy Spirit who is involved in the great role that John the
Baptist will have in the history of God's plan of salvation. Our Alleluiah
verse brings out this purposeful role: "He came to bear witness to the
light, to prepare an upright people for the Lord." (John 1:7; Luke 1:17).
A vigil is a time of waiting, anticipating, and preparing. The
Gospel narrative from Luke about Zechariah in the Temple gives us the
content of the celebration of the vigil in honor of this saint. Zechariah
and Elizabeth were both righteous before the Lord; however, Elizabeth was
barren. The vision that Zechariah has creates a doubt that this is
possible for Elizabeth to bear a son. Soon, after coming out of the
sanctuary, we learn realize that he has been struck dumb for doubting that
everything is possible with God even for him and Elizabeth to bear a child.
In that vision, the child's messianic role in the life of another is
announced. John will be the "Elijah" figure of the beginning of the
messianic era. Luke is carefully pondering over all of the annunciations
of the Hebrew Scriptures to tell the story of the annunciation now taking
place in the Temple. It is a Christian midrash developing the telling of
the miracle to be accomplished. Thus, "the story expresses through
symbolism the anticipation of the saving event of the Gospel. But the
symbolism does not mean entire creation, and the kinship of Jesus and John
is very probably a piece of genuine tradition." (McKenzie, Dictionary of
the Bible, p.442).
We may wish to spend some time today by reflecting upon a cardinal
verse fomr St. Luke: "The law (Torah) and the Prophets were in effect until
John came; and since then the good news of the kingdom of God is
proclaimed, and everyone tries to enter it by force." (Luke 16:16). In this
verse, Luke is presenting John as the last prophet before the innauguration
of the Messianic era. We will be able to continue our thoughts tomorrow as
we celebrate the Solemnity of the Birth of John the Baptist. Amen.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
June 24, 2008. The Solemnity of the Birth of John the Baptist. Scripture:
Isaiah 49:1-6. Psalm 139:1-3,13-14,14-15. Acts 13:22-26. Luke 1:57-66, 80.
Lectionary #587:
God has given us the gift of our imagination. Today, in using our
creative gift of imagination, we can easily picture the two first readings,
that is, the selection from Isaiah the prophet and then the great personal
psalm 139, and place ourselves in the mind and heart of John the Baptist
as he reflects on his own birth and call. He realizes this call and
accomplishes it as precursor, herald, and witness to the person of Jesus
his kinsman. He will be faithful to that call and always live out what he
says of himself, "He (Jesus) must increase; I must decrease." His does not
question his own identity for it has been carefully developed from
conception, to birth, to his mission of the threefold role just mentioned.
To his own disciples he says, "No one can receive anything except what has
been given from heaven. You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, 'I am
not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of him.' He who has the bride
is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him,
rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. For this reason my joy has been
fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:27-30).
The readings of yesterday, the vigil, thus parallel what we
contemplate and celebrate today about John and his birth and call. Now what
was said by Jeremiah and the Psalm are clarified and verified in the event
of John's birth. It is now accomplished and is no longer an anticipation
but an event in salvation history.
Later we read in Acts that Paul preaches about John the Baptist and
gives us a thumbnail sketch of his role in salvation history. Paul
presents him as the herald of the Gospel of salvation. He is sent forth
from God to announce the Messiah and to do that with humility and truth.
In Luke we actually have the account of the birth and then the
circumcision and naming of the Baptist as John which means the one who has
been graced by God. It is his father Zechariah who writes this as his name
and then discovers that his speech returns to him thus confirming what had
been said by the angel to him as he finished his priestly ministry in the
Temple. Luke then gives a great formation plan that Jesus himself will
follow: "The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the
wilderness until the day he appeared publicly to Israel." (Luke 1:80; cf.
Luke 2:52). Amen.
posted by Fr. Bert SM at 10:09 AM
<< Home