Readings:

Is. 49:3, 5-6; Ps. 40; 1 Cor. 1:1-3; Jn. 1:29-34

Throughout the last week, I have been enjoying a little “staycation,” resting up a bit, and spending some time getting things in order. One of the joys of parish life is belonging to a community of believers. And along with that sense of belonging comes the responsibility of fulfilling the role to which we are called. In my case, along with the pastor, that role is to minister to the people. And naturally, each person in the congregation has different needs or concerns. But, in the same way, the priest is no different than any other member of the community. We all have needs: human, psychological, spiritual, and pastoral, and being attentive to those needs is important for everyone, especially if we have a desire to grow in our relationship with God and others. So, let’s take a fresh look, then, at what the Lord is saying to us today.

The prophet Isaiah speaks about the importance of perseverance in faith. He is addressing the remnant of Israel, the people, who despite being persecuted and exiled from their homeland, kept the faith, nevertheless. It is to these people the Lord makes this promise: “I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” What might this look like today? I want you to consider those people who are faithful in your life. Maybe it’s your parents or grandparents, maybe it’s a brother or sister, maybe it’s a close friend. What is it about these persons that sets them apart from someone without faith? Perhaps we might ask these people what draws them to this place, to this altar. Why are they here? Let them tell you, let them be a light to the nations. Because most of them, by the grace of God, recognize that they are an integral part of this community; that their faith is part of the glue that is keeping the Church alive in this place.

Naturally, after we learn from others why they do what they do, we should then ask ourselves: Why am I here? Do we agree with the reasons others give, or do we have our own reasons? Perhaps our reasons are fundamental: we’re fulfilling our obligation to go to Mass; perhaps our reasons are personal: our family goes, so we go; perhaps our reasons are pastoral: we feel called to go and to share our gifts and talents with the community; perhaps our reasons are intellectual: we are seeking the Truth and want to learn what the Church has to say. I’m sure there are plenty of others we can discover by spending a little time reflecting on it.

Finally, after we have asked ourselves: Why am I here? We should also ask God. Given the challenges we face in the Church today, from scandal to hypocrisy to abuse to you name it, I guarantee the reason we are all here goes beyond any human reason we could make up. It would have to, would it not? When we see some of the ugliness of the way people treat each other. Yet, here we are. We stand united, not to the riff-raff, but to Christ. The most fundamental reason we are all here is because we recognize that God has called each of us to be here, just as Jesus called his disciples to follow him. And so, of all the reasons we have to be here, the most significant is that God has invited us personally because He loves us.

So, how do we respond to this divine invitation? Well, we come to Church, yes. But, what can we do that goes beyond merely fulfilling our obligation? Well, consider what John the Baptist does in the Gospel: He gives witness to Christ. The word “witness” shows up throughout the Bible, especially whenever we consider the prophets, who speak for God, but also the martyrs. John the Baptist was both. The definition of the word martyr is: one who bears testimony to faith. I can think of no better way to respond to the faith that God has given each of us than to testify to that faith. We do this by our presence in Church, yes, but also in the disciplined way we live our lives, observing the Commandments, caring for others, sharing our gifts and talents, and a whole host of other ways. Perhaps most importantly in our world today, we testify to the faith whenever we defend it to those seeking to destroy it. If we want our light to shine to the ends of the earth, we have to defend Christ and His Church. This is the message of our Gospel today.

This week, there is an important way we can all give witness to Christ. Wednesday is the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of the Unborn. As followers of Jesus, we are all called to defend life from conception until natural death. In fact, this is the preeminent issue in the Church and throughout the world today. Jesus says, “A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly” (Jn. 10:10). And so, I would like to encourage us to pray the Rosary on Wednesday and offer it for the protection of the unborn. Pray the Joyful mysteries and reflect on the way in which the Son of God chose to enter into our world, through the womb of the virgin. And then, Friday is the annual March for Life, so I would suggest praying the Rosary again, but instead reflect on the Sorrowful mysteries and the way in which Christ suffered for all humanity. May our celebration of the Eucharist today strengthen our witness to Christ, who is our life, and who remains with us always, even to the end of time.