| John 1:6-8, 19-28 |
This is the question people asked John
the Baptist in today’s Gospel. He must have seemed strange indeed: he ate
insects, wore itchy clothes made out of camel’s hair, lived in the desert, and
preached for people to be baptized with water for the forgiveness of their sins!
Some people thought he was crazy, others thought he was the Son of God, but John tells the people that he is “the voice of one crying out in the desert, 'make straight the way of
the Lord,' as Isaiah the prophet said." And that
“there is one among you whom you do not
recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I
am not worthy to untie." John knew who he was. He was not God
but was called by God to prepare the way for Jesus.
Who are you? What is your identity? What are you
here for?
Singer
Natasha Bedingfield answered this question in the lyrics of her 2004 single “Unwritten”,
singing: I am unwritten;
sometimes my tries are outside the lines. I’m just beginning, the pen’s in my
hand, ending unplanned…
Bedingfield believed that we
are in total control of our destiny and that we can create ourselves to be
whatever we want to be. In many ways this is true: we can change our looks,
clothes, activities, interests, professions, etc. Yet these things do not
define us. We are a human being not a
human doing! Though we can change many things about what we do we cannot
change our core identity. Who are you?
St.
Augustine answered this question by praying “you
have made us for Yourself, O God, and our hearts are restless until they rest
in you”. For St. Augustine (who
lived in the 4th century) our identity is found by resting in God. Christians
believe that we are made in the image
and likeness of God. No matter what we do or what we say we will always be the
beloved of God, made in His image. What we can
change is our likeness to God. Through our thoughts, words and actions we can
either grow to resemble God more and more or we can look less and less like
Him.
In today’s first reading Isaiah prays that “the spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me”. We have been chosen by God, blessed and
are now anointed, sent into the world. In the second reading, a letter from St.
Paul, he reminds the Christian community of their own identity as God’s beloved
daughters and sons by telling them to “Rejoice
always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for
this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” We are made to
celebrate God’s love that is within us and to share that with the world.
Who are we? We are the beloved daughters
and sons of God made in His image and likeness. As a result we are anointed and
sent forth to be a people of love and joy!
This third Sunday in Advent is called Gaudate Sunday, which means Rejoice! Sunday. We are only two weeks
away from the coming of Jesus at Christmas and we remind ourselves of the joy
that is coming! We are reminded not to lose hope in these dark days but to stay awake and prepare the way of the Lord who is infinite joy!
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