The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to celebrate the mission of John the Baptist in the light of our transformation through the desert experiences on our journey.
The reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah proclaims the Servant’s Mission.
* [49:1–7] The second of the four “servant of the Lord” oracles (cf. note on 42:1–4).
* [49:1] Gave me my name: designated me for a special task or mission (cf. Jer 1:5).
* [49:3] Israel: the servant is identified with the people of Israel as their ideal representative; however, vv. 5–6 seem to distinguish the servant from Israel.
* [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. (Isaiah, CHAPTER 49 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 139 praises the Inescapable God.
* [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. There is only one place hostile to God’s rule—wicked people. The psalmist prays to be removed from their company (Ps 139:19–24).
* [139:2] When I sit and stand: in all my physical movement. (Psalms, PSALM 139 | USCCB, n.d.)
The reading from the Acts of the Apostles is from Paul’s address in the Synagogue.
* [13:4–14:27] The key event in Luke’s account of the first missionary journey is the experience of Paul and Barnabas at Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:14–52). The Christian kerygma proclaimed by Paul in the synagogue was favorably received. Some Jews and “God-fearers” (see note on Acts 8:26–40) became interested and invited the missionaries to speak again on the following sabbath (Acts 13:42). By that time, however, the appearance of a large number of Gentiles from the city had so disconcerted the Jews that they became hostile toward the apostles (Acts 13:44–50). This hostility of theirs appears in all three accounts of Paul’s missionary journeys in Acts, the Jews of Iconium (Acts 14:1–2) and Beroea (Acts 17:11) being notable exceptions. (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB, n.d.)
The Gospel of Luke describes the Birth of John the Baptist.
* [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.
* [1:59] The practice of Palestinian Judaism at this time was to name the child at birth; moreover, though naming a male child after the father is not completely unknown, the usual practice was to name the child after the grandfather (see Lk 1:61). The naming of the child John and Zechariah’s recovery from his loss of speech should be understood as fulfilling the angel’s announcement to Zechariah in Lk 1:13, 20. (Luke, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)
Fernando Rashimi, S.J. comments that the communal celebration of John’s birth, as narrated in the gospel, underscores the collective acknowledgment of God’s continued faithfulness to humanity. It reminds us of the power of shared joy and the crucial role of community in recognizing and celebrating God’s faithfulness in our lives. It encourages us to trust in God’s plans and timing, even when they silence our doubts or are beyond our understanding. It challenges us to embrace the unexpected and to see God’s hand in both the miraculous and the mundane aspects of our lives.
As we celebrate the feast of the birth of the ‘Desert’s Voice’, let us take some time today to recall the moments of God’s intervention and His unfathomable faithfulness in our lives. Let us also reflect on our audacity to challenge our own constructs, definitions, expectations, norms, rules, and traditions—not for the sake of being rebels in society, but as a way of witnessing God’s radical faithfulness, especially towards the poor, lowly, barren, outcast, and downtrodden in life. (Rashimi, 2024)
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) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 1:57-66, 80 comments that sometimes God calls us to deliberately reject the pleasures of the world to seek him. Other times we experience a “desert” simply through the difficulties in our lives. These hardships separate us from our usual means of comfort or sources of strength, but they can also stir up our longing for God. They can help us discover that God remains close to us, even amid our hardships, and that we can always depend on his grace.
Today, thank God for the witness of John the Baptist. And the next time you come face-to-face with hardship, follow his example. Embrace the desert! Seek the Lord and discover all he that he has for you.
“John, herald of the Messiah, pray for me that I may find grace in the desert.” (Meditation on Luke 1:57-66, 80, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler links the Song of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah to Jesus' ministry as the Son of Man and the role of John the Baptist and the baptism of repentance as a precursor to Christian Baptism. The matrimonial symbolism in Luke’s Gospel presents John the Baptist as unworthy to marry the widow Israel, as he declares Jesus as the bridegroom to marry and raise children for Israel. Friar Jude notes the mission of the Baptist in his name Johannine that means Yahweh is merciful.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, notes the lessons on grief and lament we can learn from Job.
We must go through the stages of feeling, not only the last death but all the earlier little (and not-so-little) deaths. If we bypass these emotional stages by easy answers, all they do is take a deeper form of disguise and come out in another way. Many people learn that the hard way—through depression, addictions, irritability, and misdirected anger—because they refuse to let their emotions run their course or to find some appropriate place to share them. Job is unafraid to feel his feelings. He acts and speaks them out. Emotions ought to be allowed to run their course. They are not right or wrong; they are merely indicators of what is happening.
I am convinced that people who do not feel deeply finally do not know deeply either. It is only because Job is willing to feel his emotions that he is able to come to grips with the mystery in his head and heart and gut. He understands holistically and therefore his experience of grief becomes both whole and holy. (Rohr, n.d.)
We ponder the redemptive action of God that brings life from death as we seek the power of the Spirit to seek and accept transformation from our desert experience to our life as priest, prophet, and leader ordained in our Baptismal anointing.
References
Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 24, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/13?22
Isaiah, CHAPTER 49 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 24, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/49?1
Luke, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 24, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/1?57
Meditation on Luke 1:57-66, 80. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved June 24, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/06/24/1006942/
Psalms, PSALM 139 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 24, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/139?1
Rashimi, F. (2024, June 24). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved June 24, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/062424.html
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved June 24, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/jobs-emotional-courage/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). The Hand of the Lord Was with Him. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 24, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=jun24a
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