Spiritual Reflection

Today we celebrate the feast of the Birth of John the Baptist. The Church celebrates his birth because he is the last of the prophets.

This was St John’s mission: to prophesy about the coming of the kingdom and the need for repentance. He was understood as the one who prepared the world for the coming of the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. It didn’t hurt that he was related to Jesus. His life and preaching were always to ‘point’ to someone greater than he. His pointing to Jesus was always evident. His promoting baptism was not about being welcomed as much it was a sign of repentance.

I reflect on his being a prophet and how it is important to pay attention to the prophets God sends all the time.

For example: when I see someone on a very hot day standing on a corner looking for a little help, I usually try to help but even when I can’t, I still see a prophet letting me know there are people who are poor and hungry all over the world and I need to ‘pay attention.’