Name our role

The Roman Catholic Lectionary today presents texts to commemorate the birth of John the Baptist. The Gospel of Luke relates this event. Friar Jude Winkler comments that the people who witness this birth, the naming of the child and the proclamation of praise for God from Zechariah his father are very aware that something holy is going on. The text from the Book of Acts describes how Paul introduces John the Baptist to his audience in the synagogue as the prophet who is heralding the arrival of the Anointed, in the manner of the charismatic choice of David over Saul, to wed the widow, Israel, to Jesus. Paul declares the baptism offered by John to be a baptism of forgiveness. Friar Jude finds the naming of the son of Zechariah as John (“Yahweh is merciful”) as a key declaration of his mission. Jeanne Schuler understands the reception of our spiritual name to be the continuation of the attention God has for us from our beginning before the womb as mystically expressed in the beautiful words of Psalm 139. The naming of John as “beloved of God” is an invitation for us to seek our special name through which we will announce Jesus in the world. In the being we are, who God knows from the beginning of time, is our response to the Divine invitation to communion. The text from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah is part of the Suffering Servant description which is normally associated with Jesus but is applicable to John as he begins the mission of Love for all to which Isaiah directs all servants of God.