A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 5, n. 30)
Nativity of Saint John the Baptist – June 24, 2007
“Called From Birth”
BIBLE READINGS
Is 49:1-6 // Acts 13:22-26 // Lk 1:57-66, 80
N.B. Series 5 of BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD: A LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY LITURGY includes a prayerful study of the Sunday liturgy of Year C from the perspective of the First Reading. For another set of reflections on the Sunday liturgy of Year C, please go to the PDDM Web Archives: WWW.PDDM.US and open Series 2.
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS
It was June 24th – a hot humid day - fifteen years ago. I was riding in a “jeep”, the most popular form of public transportation in the Philippines. I was on my way to visit my parents and have lunch with them. The route of the “jeep” would take me through San Juan, a town in Metro Manila, which was celebrating the feast of its patron saint, St. John the Baptist. The town has a unique fiesta tradition – water dousing! The revelers would stock up with water and merrily drench unknowing passersby. This was to recall the mission of their beloved patron who baptized Jesus and those receptive to the call of conversion at River Jordan. When I boarded the “jeep”, I noticed that the plastic window curtains to protect passengers from rain were rolled down. It was really strange for there was no rain, and the sun was shining brightly. The driver kindly explained why he unfolded the plastic curtains: “I don’t want you to get wet. It’s fiesta in San Juan.” When we were in San Juan, the “jeep” got stuck in the traffic. We saw some teenagers by the road ready with water ammunition, but they were totally ignoring us. Their attention was focused on passersby and they were quietly surveying possible “victims”. I heaved a sigh of relief. The excitement, however, was far from over. When the vehicle started to move, there was a vigorous splash coming through the door of the “jeep”. An abundant douse of water hit the passengers. After the initial shock, we started to laugh. Thank God! It was clean water! We were wet, but it was fun! The water dousing steeped us in the spirit of the town fiesta – we felt that John the Baptist was baptizing us.
The universal Church celebrates today the nativity of John the Baptist, the Messiah’s precursor. The liturgy’s First Reading (Is 49:1-6) comes from the Second Servant Song, which describes the commissioning of a mysterious personage - the Servant of God - as a prophet. The identity of the Servant is not specified and since the reference is open ended, it is easily appropriated. On account of the versatility of its image, the figure of the Servant has been applied to various personages in salvation history, foremost of which is Jesus Christ, the ultimate Servant of Yahweh. Today’s liturgy, however, applies the Second Servant Song to John the Baptist, whose birthday we commemorate today. Called from birth and given a name from his mother’s womb, the remarkable child would grow and be honed into a “sharp-edged sword”. He would be transformed into an effective prophetic instrument of God’s word. Like a “polished arrow” hidden in God’s quiver, John was to become an incisive weapon to be used at the right time to proclaim the judgment of God. Concealed for a time, the prophet John would appear in the desert to proclaim the coming of the Kingdom and prepare the way for the public ministry of the Messiah. An enigmatic ascetic and a compelling figure in the wilderness of Judea, the Precursor would exhort the people tensed with messianic expectation: “Turn away from your sins and be baptized, and God will forgive your sins.” John then baptized in the Jordan River those who had confessed their sins and opened their hearts to the coming of the Kingdom of God.
In bearing witness to the person of the Jesus Christ, the true Light that enlightens the world, and in upholding the integrity of moral truth against the malice of King Herod and his partner Herodias, John suffered martyrdom. His death was an intimate participation in the paschal destiny of the Messiah, of which he was a precursor. In sharing intimately the universal work of salvation of Jesus Christ, the words of Yahweh in the Second Servant Song, could also be applied not only to Jesus but also to John: “I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth” (Is 49:6).
Today’s Gospel episode (Lk 1:57-66, 80) describes the marvelous circumstances surrounding the birth of John the Baptist. Elizabeth, the wife of the temple priest Zechariah, gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard how the good Lord wonderfully gazed upon her and bestowed his mercy upon her. They all rejoiced with her. The joy was even greater on account of Elizabeth’s lifelong barrenness and the advanced age of the couple. In the biblical mentality, fecundity was a sign of divine blessing and childlessness was considered a disgrace, if not downrightly a curse. The name given to the child by God and announced to Zechariah by the angel at the temple was truly significant: “JOHN” – which means “Yahweh has shown favor” … “Yahweh is gracious”. Indeed, the joy that resulted from Elizabeth’s motherhood was a foretaste of the messianic joy that the birth of Jesus would bring to the world.
The authors of the Days of the Lord, vol. 7, comment: “After the announcement of his birth, the circumcision of John the Baptist reveals the mission for which God chose him from his mother’s womb. On that day, his father renounced his right to name him and gave him the name God himself had chosen. By this act, Zechariah acknowledged, and indicated to all, that this child belonged to the Lord for the mission, still unknown at the time, that he had in store for him. The birth of this son, granted through divine mercy to Zechariah and Elizabeth, filled with great joy not only his parents but also their neighbors who announced the good news throughout the whole region: a child had just been born on whom the Lord’s hand rested. This particular divine protection was to make of him a faithful prophet and a fearless preacher of the salvation that God wanted to see extending to the ends of the earth.”
Today’s Second Reading (Acts 13:22-26) contains Paul’s speech to the Israelites and other worshippers in the synagogue in Antioch in Pisidia. In this apostolic preaching, he underlines the mission of John with regards to the Messiah. According to Saint Paul, Jesus is the Savior whom God has brought to Israel from David’s posterity. The prophet John heralded the coming of this Savior by proclaiming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. The baptism of repentance performed by John at River Jordan was a powerful call and an intense symbol of turning to God and reconciliation with him, a saving event to be completely achieved in the paschal sacrifice of the Messiah Jesus Christ. Astoundingly, Christ chose to be baptized by the Precursor at River Jordan.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1224, remarks: “Our Lord voluntarily submitted himself to the baptism of St. John, intended for sinners, in order to fulfill all righteousness. Jesus’ gesture is a gesture of self-emptying. The Spirit who had hovered over the waters of the first creation descended then on the Christ as a prelude of the new creation, and the Father revealed Jesus as his beloved Son.” Indeed, the baptism of Jesus at River Jordan by John the Baptist was a messianic consecration. It was a wondrous event in salvation history in which God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power for his public ministry as the Savior of Israel and all mankind.
As John was about to complete his mission as the Messiah’s precursor, he reiterated to the people that he was not the Messiah and pointed to the One who was to come: “What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. Behold, one is coming after me. I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet” (Acts 13: 25). The authors of the Days of the Lord, vol. 9, conclude: “By his person and message, John the Precursor remains inseparable from Jesus and from the announcement of the good news addressed to all humans whom God loves … John is there also to remind the Church, the preachers of the gospel, and all believers, that they must make way for the One they announce and whose path they prepare. They must keep pointing out some One greater in order to show him to those who seek him. Their joy is that the seekers would find him. And when the encounter takes place, they disappear.”
PERSONAL REFLECTION
By Fr. Boniface Perera
St. Peter the Apostle Parish
Lemoore, CA-U.S.A.
John the Baptist is without doubt a great personality in the history of salvation. He is the great link of the Old Testament and the New Testament. He comes in between the line of prophets in the Old Testament (who spoke on behalf of YAHWEH God and foretold the coming of the Messiah) and THE PROPHET-MESSIAH, Jesus Christ. One cannot forget that Jesus himself gave John the Baptist a great credit when he said, “John is greater than anyone who has ever lived” (Lk 7:28).
We also see Luke’s literary style of parallelism in the birth narratives of Jesus and John and how he underlines the connection and contrast between the life and the mission of Jesus and John. Though we see the contrasts of their life patterns, it is important to understand that they are not contradictory, but complementary, for both of them have the same mission and vision.
Luke’s arrangement of these parallel passages is also interesting.
The Prophecy of John’s Birth (Lk 1:5-25)
The Prophecy of Jesus’ Birth (Lk 1:26-38)
Mary Visits Elizabeth (Lk 1:39-56)
Prophecy fulfilled: John’s Birth (Lk1:57-80)
Prophecy fulfilled Jesus’ Birth (Lk 2:1-20)
In this passage that concerns us, Luke presents a prophecy fulfilled (birth of John) and another prophecy declared (birth of Jesus) especially in relation to the canticle of Zechariah. We are shown how God’s plans come to fulfillment despite human resistance.
In both these nativity accounts many elements are shared: the angelic visitor, the proclamation, the overcoming of a human deficiency (age and barrenness in the first instance, youth and virginity in the second) and a sign to legitimate the prophecy. The points of contrast are all the more striking. John will be great before the Lord (1:15), but Jesus will be great and Son of the Most High (1:32). John will prepare a people (1:17), but Jesus will rule the people. John’s role is temporary (1:17), Jesus’ kingdom will never end. John is to be a prophet (1:15), but Jesus is more than another prophet; he is the Son of God (1:35). John will be “filled with the Holy Spirit” as a prophet (1:15), but the overshadowing of the spirit and power will make Jesus “the Holy One”. One can see that John’s role is already firmly established at his birth. He will “prepare the way” of Jesus both in his adult years and in his birth.
While the importance of John is shown in each of the parallel passages, the superiority of Jesus is highlighted. We can see this is also true when comparing the mission and preaching of John and Jesus.
One important aspect of John the Baptist that I would like to put forward is his humility and his dependency: “Someone is coming who is much greater than I am. I am not good enough even to untie his sandals” (Lk 3:16). We can have a beautiful reflection in relation to this in the parable of the prodigal son (Lk 15:11-32). Luke presents a beautiful contrast between the attitude of the younger son before he left the father and when he returned to the father. The son was demanding, did not care for the father and was trying to be independent, and went away. Later we would see him humble, back home with the father and depending on him. John the Baptist is a living example of that humility, that dependency. Is he not a great challenge to all of us and specially those chosen for a mission as priests and lay leaders?
(REFERENCES: Luke Timothy Johnsons, The Gospel of Luke, Sacra Pagina: Collegeville: The Liturgical Press; Philip Van Linden, The Gospel of Luke and Acts, Delaware: Michael Glazier)
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART
A. What is the significance of the following Isaiah text from the Second Servant Song: “The Lord called me from birth, from my mother’s womb he gave me my name” (Is 49:1b) in relation to John the Baptist whose birthday we celebrate today? What are the implications of his prophetic vocation? How does the vocation and consecration of John the Baptist inspire us? Do we believe that we too have been called by God from birth and entrusted with a particular prophetic mission in today’s world?
B. What are the graces received and experienced by the devout and God-fearing couple, Zechariah and Elizabeth? What is the meaning of the birth of John the Baptist and the name “JOHN” given to him by God from his mother’s womb? How did the neighbors and relatives respond to the saving event experienced by Elizabeth and Zechariah? Like them do we allow ourselves to be filled with joy in the Lord?
C. Do we contemplate devoutly the meaning of the Lord’s baptism and the role of John the Baptist as the precursor of the Messiah? What is the significance for us of John’s baptism of repentance and Jesus’ baptism in the power of the Holy Spirit? Do we endeavor to be like John the Baptist in his mission to point to the Messiah and to bear total witness on his behalf, even to the point of death? Do we reflect intimately and frequently on the second mystery of the Rosary’s “Mysteries of Light”, that is, the Baptism of the Lord at the River Jordan?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD
(Adapted from a prayer, cf. Commission Francophone Cistercienne, La nuit, le jour, 145 (Fiche de chant W LH 160) // Days of the Lord, vol. 9, Collegeville: The Liturgical Press, 1994, p. 160)
Leader: From his mother’s womb, John will be filled with the Holy Spirit; he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and many will rejoice at his birth.
Assembly: You who watch in the night, joyous is your light. You are the lamp that burns and shines until the coming of the dawn expected for centuries.
Leader: There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came to bear witness to the light, to prepare an upright people for the Lord.
Assembly: You precede daylight. You bear hope. Do enlighten humankind, seeking love, and lead its heart back to innocence.
Leader: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people.
Assembly: For the Pasch of God, do prepare our earth! You announce to us a baptism of Fire. May it set aflame the life of all beings.
Leader: Through the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high shall break upon us.
Assembly: Your light is waning; another is revealed. It is God who rises and overtakes you: in the dawn of Christ, perfect joy.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the week. Please memorize it.
“The Lord called me from birth, from my mother’s womb he gave me my name” (Is 49:1b)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION
A. ACTION PLAN: Pray that the Christian disciples of today may truly understand and imitate the great role of John the Baptist in preparing the way and in giving witness to the Messiah Jesus Christ. In the very surroundings where you live, endeavor to be like John the Baptist in giving witness to truth and in your prophetic stance against the culture of death and falsehood that afflicts our modern society.
B. ACTION PLAN: To help us imitate more efficaciously the prophetic stance of John the Baptist and his role as the Messiah’s precursor, make an effort to spend an hour in Eucharistic Adoration. Visit the PDDM WEB site (www.pddm.us) for the EUCHARISTIC ADORATION THROUGH THE LITURGICAL YEAR (Vol. 3, n. 30): A Weekly Pastoral Tool.
Prepared by Sr. Mary Margaret Tapang PDDM
PIAE DISCIPULAE DIVINI MAGISTRI
SISTER DISCIPLES OF THE DIVINE MASTER
60 Sunset Ave., Staten Island, NY 10314
Tel. (718) 494-8597 // (718) 761-2323
Website: WWW.PDDM.US