Reflection
John the Baptist orients us clearly towards Jesus as having primacy in our lives, and as the one to whom we should look to, and learn from. He is our life and salvation.
All of John’s words, works, and personal witness are directed towards Jesus and helping others to see and recognise him.
It is not always obvious to others, but to John, it is clear. He wishes to make it obvious to all. Jesus ranks ahead of him, existed before him, bears the mark of the Holy Spirit’s guidance and wisdom, and indeed, is the Son of God.
John reveals one dimension of our own discipleship. We not only follow Jesus and imitate his values and actions in our world, but we are also heralds. We do not just follow; we also go ahead. We, too, are sent ahead of Jesus, and part of our mission is proclamation.
Like John, we are to announce the Lord and witness to him in ways that enable others to see and recognise him.
Such a proclamation is not always easy. It is not a matter of mere words. Just as John acted out the proclamation by baptising, we too are called to act in ways that self-evidently announce Jesus.
As we enter a new liturgical cycle and a New Year, let us be mindful of this call.
I recently came across a simple reflection that might be a mantra to guide us in our own witnessing.
Let us choose Love over pride, Patience over anger. Forgiveness over distance.
In such ways, we give outstanding witness, and by our actions, we point the way to Jesus. In this light, we too can say, “I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”
