Nativity of John Baptist

To be honest, it is easy for me to become sad and dis-enhearted, and angry.
It seems there is such a rush to judge, to accuse, there are too many hurtful words, to much junk being thrown around.
Here is the feast of the birth of John the Baptist, which i think gives us a pause to think, reflect and maybe act differently.
This feast is more than simply an early warning that Christmas is only 6 months away, or that the amount of daylight will be decreasing until Christmas.
We as Christians note that John the Baptist’s role was to point to the true savior of the world, Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the savior of the world
Jesus is the Way to true freedom, he is the path to true salvation, and a better world.

Scripture will show that there was questions to John’s status.  People we making him a savior. He tried to dispel them of that notion. He always deferred to the true savior, Jesus.


We say Jesus is our savior, but I think we all need to examine whether our words match our actions!
To whom or what do we point as the savior?
This clearly connects to salvation, because we expend a lot of energy in not being alive, but in other ways.
Because our human tendency to to make ourselves Saviors, or make the means of our salvation something other than God.
This is the Original Sin that we participate in.
Our human ego gets in the way, and we think WE know what is best.
We want the world to operate in OUR way.
We want, we want, we want.



And when others disagree...we get angry, which is normal, but then we attack!
“How dare you think differently than me?  How dare you have a different view of what patriotism means?  How dare you tell me how to be a Catholic?”

Any of this sound familiar?
These past few weeks in particular I have seen so much.
Not just around immigration and the horror of family separation, but I have seen others causing so much harm to others, with slander, with vitriol…
It’s no wonder our young persons don’t want to remain Catholic.  They see being Catholic makes no difference in our lives
Jesus proclaimed God’s will:  that all, all, may have life and have it in the full.  That all, all may be one, as the God is one.
The path to freedom, to salvation is based on this.  This is our faith as Catholics.
For this we come as community.
For this we go out on mission to create life for all
To build up unity for all.
In doing so, the fear that we have, which is used by others to control and manipulate us, is diminished.

God’s Love conquers all fear.
God’s Love diminishes the anger that can reside in so many of us.
God’s love reminds us that God is God, and I am not, you are not, we are not.
The resurrection reminds us of this as well.

Jesus was killed according to a law; by people who wanted to protect their own power, their own status, who were angry and afraid.


God raised him up.  Who is the Savior?
The people I have met who are humble, who are trying to follow God’s will, they seem more at peace.

They speak up for what is right, without attacking others.
They wrestle with their choices, discerning what is truly the good to be done, and how to do it.
They understand that there is so very little they have control over, so they use their precious energy to control what they can, and leave the rest to God.
And they find energy, they find themselves less filled with the anger.  They are able to move more slowly in the world, noticing the people around them, the incredible roses we have this year…
They breathe in and out.

Who is our Savior, who are we pointing to?

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