Verbum Dei UK

The Gospel this week is once again about John the Baptist ‘preparing the way of the Lord’.

It’s good to see the role of the whole Church like the finger of the Baptist; not pointing at itself but at Christ. All of us should participate in that humble role.

There’s a dark world out there that needs the light of Love. We all need it. Like is recognized by John and by our church leaders up to the Pope himself, we are not the light, but witnesses that point to it (as does the Baptist in Jn 1:8 ). But do our lives give good testimony? Perhaps that seems to surpass us, and it doesn’t just ‘seem to’. But it’s within humility that the Trinity engender their greatness. ‘John replied to them: "The Messiah is the one who will come after me, and I am not worthy of even tying his sandals " (Jn 1:27 ). God calls us to clean-up for Christmas, but also to follow John - and to help everybody in 'the cleaning'! Christ needs humble precursors (I wish to God that I was humble!). If the precursor is faithful, then it’s Christ himself who is acting in him. In fact, in the synagogue in the Gospel of Luke (Lk 4:15-20), Jesus quotes Isaiah (Is 61 - "The Spirit of God is upon me"). He says it in the first person, looking back to Isaiah, but also looking forward to all of us. It may seem exaggerated to be applying that to all of us now, but the truth is that Christ yearns to be able to say the same of all of us. “The Spirit of God is upon us”. When we are doing things and talking with people, are we allowing Christ to act in us? Maybe there are things in us that aren’t very loving, but we can excise (withdraw) them! Surgeons can often excise cancers! That’s what Advent is for. Do we look for it? Will we allow God to do it? Then we’ll be able to be born again. That won’t come true if we try on our own, but only if we open up. 'May the God of peace sanctify you, and thereby you may be preserved without blame for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Of course, that isn’t a call to be like 'sleeping statues' in the churches, but to begin to change the world: "The Spirit of God is on me, because He has sent me to give the good news to the poor; to cure the broken hearted, to set prisoners free..." (Is 61:1-2). The gifts that will really make us glad are not so much the gifts that we receive, but those which we give. God gives us the gift of Jesus and he turns us into gifts for others. God wants to give us to many! But we shouldn’t support that project like employees completing duties, but like joyful lovers. 'I will exult in the Lord; because he has dressed me in the garment of salvation... as if dressing bride and groom with jewels'. (Is 61:10).���

John's poverty may seem like some kind of 'masochism', but it symbolizes a freedom that makes you really rich. Locusts and wild honey don't sound like food of a cheerful wedding, but John knew that he had a job to do and that ‘at the end of the day’ he would be pouring out 'a tremendous wine' (Think of the weddings at Cana in John 2 and of the blood on Calvary in John 19 )! That is releasing us from this prison of mundane wealth, honors and cheap pleasures, and thereby we will enjoy being with Christ.

Trying to tap a computer keyboard with a sclerotic body may not seem very joyful, but I exult in anticipation. Let’s celebrate the mass today like St Paul says: 'Giving thanks to God in all circumstances.' (1 Thess 5:18). In fact that’s what the word ‘Eucharist’ means… Thanks!'

Dara