Today on the feast of the Nativity of St John the Baptist we should call to mind our own birth, our birthright as children of God our Father. Our call to Holiness and the unique calling for each of one of us to share the message of salvation to all; that Christ Jesus our Lord is the light for all nations and He alone will lead us all into the Kingdom of Heaven.
St John the Baptist greatest of all prophets laid down his life for the Glory of the Lord our God. He prepared the way for our Lord Jesus Christ by turning the hearts of men back to the Lord our God, as he preached repentance and initiated such a baptism as an outward sign and declaration of the willingness of those who desired to make straight their paths. A response to the call of our God put into action.
And so today we reflect on our similar calling to that of St John the Baptist. To be courageous beacons of light for Christ our Lord and Saviour. While not all of us will be called to share in His martyrdom for Christ, we are all called to die to ourselves, our wants, our concupiscence, to be Holy as our Heavenly Father is Holy. And to lead the many children who have strayed back to Him. Amen
First reading
Isaiah 49:1-6
I will make you the light of the nations so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth
Islands, listen to me, pay attention, remotest peoples. The Lord called me before I was born, from my mother’s womb he pronounced my name.
He made my mouth a sharp sword, and hid me in the shadow of his hand. He made me into a sharpened arrow, and concealed me in his quiver.
He said to me, ‘You are my servant (Israel) in whom I shall be glorified’; while I was thinking, ‘I have toiled in vain, I have exhausted myself for nothing’; and all the while my cause was with the Lord, my reward with my God. I was honoured in the eyes of the Lord, my God was my strength.
And now the Lord has spoken,
he who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, to gather Israel to him:
‘It is not enough for you to be my servant, to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel; I will make you the light of the nations so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.’
Second reading
Acts 13:22-26
Jesus, whose coming was heralded by John
Paul said: ‘God deposed Saul and made David their king, of whom he approved in these words, “I have selected David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will carry out my whole purpose.” To keep his promise, God has raised up for Israel one of David’s descendants, Jesus, as Saviour, whose coming was heralded by John when he proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the whole people of Israel. Before John ended his career he said, “I am not the one you imagine me to be; that one is coming after me and I am not fit to undo his sandal.”
‘My brothers, sons of Abraham’s race, and all you who fear God, this message of salvation is meant for you.’
Gospel
Luke 1:57-66,80
‘His name is John’
The time came for Elizabeth to have her child, and she gave birth to a son; and when her neighbours and relations heard that the Lord had shown her so great a kindness, they shared her joy.
Now on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother spoke up. ‘No,’ she said ‘he is to be called John.’ They said to her, ‘But no one in your family has that name’, and made signs to his father to find out what he wanted him called. The father asked for a writing-tablet and wrote, ‘His name is John.’ And they were all astonished. At that instant his power of speech returned and he spoke and praised God. All their neighbours were filled with awe and the whole affair was talked about throughout the hill country of Judaea. All those who heard of it treasured it in their hearts. ‘What will this child turn out to be?’ they wondered. And indeed the hand of the Lord was with him.
Meanwhile the child grew up and his spirit matured. And he lived out in the wilderness until the day he appeared openly to Israel.
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