Homily for January 2nd of the Christmas weekdays
Theme: JOHN THE BAPTIST REVEALS JESUS’ DEITY….”I am the voice crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord”
By: Fr. Joan COSTA i Bou
Homily for Saturday January 2 2021
Today, the Gospel proposes that we contemplate John the Baptist’s figure. «Then who are you?» —the priests and Levites ask him. John’s answer makes it clear that he is conscious of his mission: to prepare the Messiah’s coming. John answers: «I am the voice crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord» (Jn 1:23). To be Christ’s voice, His loudspeaker, the person who announces the Savior of the world and the one who prepares His coming: this is John’s mission and, just like him, the mission of all the people who know and feel themselves keepers of the treasure of our Faith.
Every divine mission has a vocation —also divine— as a foundation, which guarantees its fulfillment. «Since God began such a good work in you —Saint Paul told the Philippians—: I am certain that he will complete it in the day of Christ Jesus» (Phil 1:6). We all, called to holiness by Christ, have to become His voice in the middle of the world. A world that often lives, with its back turned to God, lacking in love for man. It is necessary that we make Him present and make Him known with the example of our lives and our words. Not to do it, would be to betray our vocation and mission. «The Christian vocation, due to its very same nature, is also a vocation for apostolate»— the Council Vatican II states.
The greatness of our vocation and of the mission that God has assigned us does not come from our own merit, but from the One who we all serve. Thus spoke John the Baptist: «I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandal» (Jn 1:27). How God entrusts his people!
With all our hearts, we are grateful for the call to share the divine life and the mission of being His hands in our world, as well as being Christ’s voice, His heart and eyes. Let’s renew our sincere desire to be faithful.
Fr. Joan COSTA i Bou
(Barcelona, Spain)