The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate what the role of connecting people, like John the Baptist, has to say about how we may be named for our mission as disciples of Jesus.
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| Making connections |
The passage from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah identifies the mission of the Servant of the Lord.
* [49:6] The servant’s vocation extends beyond the restoration of Israel in order to bring the knowledge of Israel’s God to the rest of the earth; cf. Lk 2:32.1
The psalmist is keenly aware of God’s control over the psalmist’s very self.
* [Psalm 139] A hymnic meditation on God’s omnipresence and omniscience. The psalmist is keenly aware of God’s all-knowing gaze (Ps 139:1–6), of God’s presence in every part of the universe (Ps 139:7–12), and of God’s control over the psalmist’s very self (Ps 139:13–16). Summing up Ps 139:1–16, 17–18 express wonder.2
In the reading from Acts, Paul addresses the synagogue on the role of John the Baptist.
* [13:16–41] This is the first of several speeches of Paul to Jews proclaiming that the Christian church is the logical development of Pharisaic Judaism (see also Acts 24:10–21; 26:2–23).3
The Gospel from Luke emphasizes the importance of naming the child in the description of the birth of John.
* [1:57–66] The birth and circumcision of John above all emphasize John’s incorporation into the people of Israel by the sign of the covenant (Gn 17:1–12). The narrative of John’s circumcision also prepares the way for the subsequent description of the circumcision of Jesus in Lk 2:21. At the beginning of his two-volume work Luke shows those who play crucial roles in the inauguration of Christianity to be wholly a part of the people of Israel. At the end of the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 21:20; 22:3; 23:6–9; 24:14–16; 26:2–8, 22–23) he will argue that Christianity is the direct descendant of Pharisaic Judaism.4
Chas Kestermeier, S.J. comments that one way of seeing the birth of John is as just one more milestone in the history of God's love for us, not a clear start to anything but rather the continuation of all the preparation and formation that God had put His people through over the centuries.
From another perspective, though, it is also that point at which the New Testament begins. Suddenly there is a whole new tone to Scripture – not only in Luke but in all the Gospels, in the letters of Paul, and in the emphatic and lyrical visions of Revelation; there is a sense of a gathering radical change, Good News not only for the Chosen People but for all people everywhere and throughout history, for all of that creation entrusted to us at our creation (Gen 1:26; 2:19-20).
And rough, simple, deep, humble John is the bearer of that word, not in the trendy and buzzing cities, not to the satisfied and the complete, but to the seekers, those who will find their Hearts' Desire in solitude, silence, fasting, and sincere prayer – just where John was.5
Don Schwager quotes “Parallels between John and Jesus,” by Ephrem the Syrian (306-373 AD).
"The elderly Elizabeth gave birth to the last of the prophets, and Mary, a young girl, to the Lord of the angels. The daughter of Aaron gave birth to the voice in the desert (Isaiah 63:9), but the daughter of David to the strong God of the earth. The barren one gave birth to him who remits sins, but the Virgin gave birth to him who takes them away (John 1:29). Elizabeth gave birth to him who reconciled people through repentance, but Mary gave birth to him who purified the lands of uncleanness. The elder one lit a lamp in the house of Jacob, his father, for this lamp itself was John (John 5:35), while the younger one lit the Sun of Justice (Malachi 4:2) for all the nations. The angel announced to Zechariah, so that the slain one would proclaim the crucified one and that the hated one would proclaim the envied one. He who was to baptize with water would proclaim him who would baptize with fire and with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11). The light, which was not obscure, would proclaim the Sun of Justice. The one filled with the Spirit would proclaim concerning him who gives the Spirit. The priest calling with the trumpet would proclaim concerning the one who is to come at the sound of the trumpet at the end. The voice would proclaim concerning the Word, and the one who saw the dove would proclaim concerning him upon whom the dove rested, like the lightning before the thunder." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON TATIAN’S DIATESSARON 1.31)6
The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 1:57-66, 80 asks “What’s in a name?” This famous question from Shakespeare seems to say that what you call someone doesn’t matter; only the person’s character is important. But in Scripture, names matter quite a bit. They often signify a person’s character or indicate God’s intentions for a person.
So it was with John the Baptist. Everyone assumed he would be named after his father, Zechariah. But John’s parents chose a name derived from the Hebrew word for “God favored,” or “graced by God.”
Of course, living in the wilderness, eating locusts, and wearing camel’s hair for clothing might not suggest any special outpouring of God’s favor. But by living in such a simple manner, John found the grace and favor of God. He allowed himself to be stripped of everything that he may have relied on. Instead of finding comfort or strength in wealth or prestige, he sought to rely on his heavenly Father.7
Along the way I was introduced to the spiritual aid that invites us to contemplate what name God may be using to call us. My experience is that this “name” changes as we grow through the stages of becoming an adult, taking on family responsibilities and “falling up” using Richard Rohr language to a deeper place. My own sequence of names include David, John the Baptist and Joseph. The surface connection to these names are “beloved of God” in the early days of parenthood, “prophet” during a period of emphasis of “justice”, and now a sense of acting as Joseph, protector, guide, and bridge between Hebrew and Christian messages of faith, hope and charity. Seek understanding of the “name” and appreciate our unique identity “formed in the womb” as the psalmist declares.
Friar Jude Winkler introduces the song of the suffering servant in deutero-Isaiah that was written during the Babylonian exile. John “God is merciful” carries the message the Baptist will preach. Friar Jude connects John the Baptist to the theology of the community in the desert at Qumran.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, quotes Fred Rogers, the Presbyterian minister behind the TV show Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, who once said that “to love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now.” [2] .
If all our spiritual efforts are aimed at loving these people better—well, that alone is and should be enough. And, as it happens, if we’re able to go deep into that specific, aching love for these particular people, with these smiles and that laugh and that sweet face—something else might happen as a natural consequence of it. Maybe, as our hearts overflow, we find that love can, naturally of its own accord, extend wider, until it encompasses caring for all things, and connection to everything—until our love becomes Love itself, the very flow and force of the universe. [This is what I mean by accessing the universal through the particular. —Richard]8
We are challenged to live connected with others and apply the mercy and grace we have experienced to our relationships as we respond to the call associated with our spiritual name.
References
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(n.d.). Isaiah, chapter 49 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved June 24, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/49
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2
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(n.d.). Psalms, chapter 139 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved June 24, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/139
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3
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(n.d.). Acts, chapter 13 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved June 24, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/acts/13
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4
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(n.d.). Luke, chapter 1 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved June 24, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/luke/1
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5
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(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections - OnlineMinistries - Creighton University. Retrieved June 24, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
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6
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(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 24, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
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7
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(n.d.). The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist (Solemnity) - Mass Readings and .... Retrieved June 24, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/06/24/
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8
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(2019, June 24). Giving Ourselves — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved June 24, 2019, from https://cac.org/giving-ourselves-2019-06-24/
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