Breaking the Word

The Nativity of John the Baptist, Monday – 24^th June 2024—Is 49, 1-6; Lk 1, 57-60.80

Being Part of God’s Plan

The readings of today present the unique role of John the Baptist, being called before his birth to do the will of God. For John that was the special role, as a person he was to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah. John’s calling began before his conception in the womb of Elizabeth. The angel Gabriel announced his birth privately to his father, Zechariah and gave him a name, John. Biblically naming this way signifies special calling. Indeed, his special calling was to be precursor for Jesus, the Messiah.

The sermon by Paul, from the Acts of the Apostles (13,22-26), speaks of the privileged position of John the Baptist as the herald of the coming of the Messiah. Paul proclaims that John’s ministry of baptism and repentance was a preparation for the salvation brought by Jesus. He also emphasizes the recognition of John’s subservient role to Jesus, “I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of His feet.” In this way, John prepared the people by challenging them to repent before the Messiah came. And when Christ came, John pointed Him out and took a back-seat role “He must increase and I must decrease”.  Like him, we are called by God to play our role in God’s plan of salvation. Unlike John, we are not the greatest person born of a woman. Yet, we called to be least part in building up God’s kingdom on earth.

11th Week in Ord. Time, Saturday – 22nd June 2024 – 2 Chron 24,17-25; Mt 6,24-34

Attitude of Indifference
In today’s Gospel, there is a strong call to trust in God, who takes care of the living beings in creation. He provides food for all the animals, and is concerned about the lilies and the grass of the field. God’s beneficent and solicitous gaze watches daily over our life. It flows under the goad of so many worries, which takes away our serenity and balance. However, this anguish is often useless because it does not succeed in changing the course of events. Jesus exhorts us insistently not to be worried about tomorrow (6,25.28.31), reminding us that beyond all there is a loving Father who never forgets his children. To entrust ourselves to God does not resolve all our problems magically but enables us to face them with the right spirit, courageously. At the same time, Jesus teaches us to have the right attitude towards our preoccupation about money and possession. Jesus preaches what St. Ignatius of Loyola calls ‘indifference’ to material things. The attitude of ‘indifference’ is not that one does not care; on the contrary, one cares very much. One cares to have things and to use things only insofar as they are needed to love and serve God and others for his sake. Jesus urges us to liberate ourselves from worry and anxiety about our body and material things, because our Almighty Father takes care of everything and loves me so much.