By Fr Antony Christy, SDB –
I always insist, there are no coincidences. There are only miracles! One constant and incomparable miracle in human life is birth! Just imagine, before you were born your father, mother, home, family, everything was determined and prepared for. All that you had to do was be there and insert yourself into that reality. Everybody would be wondering what would become of you, but God had definitive plans. If only you cooperated with those plans, you would achieve the purpose of your life… which is not merely a pretty long life for its own sake.
Many have gone rather early but that “early” is highly relative to the purposes achieved by those persons: for St. Francis it was 45 years, for St. Anthony it was 36 and for St. Dominic Savio it was just 14 plus! The Miracle is how things happen in such succession and correspondence that you can hardly account for. When we are mindful of a divine hand guiding us, we would find a great peace and serenity even amidst raging troubles and persistent problems.
The readings today summarise in a perfect sense who John was – the Voice, the Servant and the Blessed of all born of women. The first reading describes his identity, the second his self-understanding and the Gospel, his blessedness in the eyes of God.
The Voice: His Identity
He stands out as a prophet, a prophet who ensures the continuity between the Old Testaments prophets and Jesus, the prophet par excellence. His identity as a voice explains also his priority to make God’s Word known. The Word is announced by the Voice: the call for us… to make present to the Word in the world.
The Servant of God: His Self-Identity
John was filled with a sense of his mission. He was sent to prepare the way of the Lord, as a precursor to run before the Lord and get the spirit of the Lord’s people up and awake. He challenged people to conversion as a foretaste of the Reign of God that Jesus wanted to establish. The challenge for us, is to recognise God’s will at work in our lives
Blessed from the Womb: God’s Chosen One
John becomes a proximate witness to us for the words that Isaiah, Jeremiah and other prophets always insist upon: the Lord chooses us before we were ever formed in the womb and the Lord has a specific plan for each of us. In God’s wisdom lies our true happiness. The invitation for us, is to understand the purpose of our lives from the perspective of God.
John’s birth today is painted in a manner that vividly brings out the miracle that every person is and every life is. What is important here is to be mindful of the call and be open to its ways. Learn to look at yourself with a sense of mystery. Open the eyes of your soul to see the mystery in others. Keep your faith alive to realise and experience the Mystery present always with you – the Lord who is leading you by your hand!
Fr Antony Christy is a Salesian Priest from 2005, who has a Masters in Philosophy (specialisation in Religion) and a Masters in Theology (Specialisation in Catechetics). He is currently pursuing his doctoral research in Theology at Salesian Pontifical University, Rome. Walking with the Young towards a World of Peace and Dialogue is the passion that fires him on.