John the Baptist, in his role as precursor of the coming of Jesus, presents a message that is stern and demanding. We see in John a more “in your face” preacher than was Jesus, though this would certainly not reflect the full measure of either one of them.
There is a great lesson that we learn from John, and for this reason it is likely that St. Luke places this extended teaching of John into the Gospel.
In the First Reading we hear the prophet Zephaniah announcing joyfully the coming of the Day of the Lord. As the celebration of Advent shifts slightly to the sense of festivity and joy – expressed in the wearing of the rose colored vestments – we look to John to get a deeper sense of the meaning of that joy.
While our Christmas shopping is well underway and as we plan the details of the holiday festivities, it is easy to forget those whose lives are not as bountiful as our own. We buy to excess, we eat to excess, we drink to excess, we party to excess. Our closets are overloaded with clothing that we never wear or need. We fumble with the latest gadgets, technology and conveniences which rob us of many opportunities for personal interaction. Generally speaking everything – and almost everyone in our lives – is disposable.
John challenges us this weekend to be mindful of the excesses in our lives so that we might be sensitive to the needs of others. We easily throw away what millions of people cannot afford to have had in the first place.
This overly consumeristic world view also enables us to so easily take advantage of others. The generosity of family and friends can often become an opportunity for dishonesty and duplicity for others. News reports are again warning us against scams preying on the generosity and emotional ties of people, especially the elderly. Sadly, it is often the case that a child or grandchild is the perpetrator of such crimes against a concerned and big-hearted elderly relative.
At the same time we can easily hide our greed within the context of just doing business. We take advantage of insurance companies and justify our actions as we convince ourselves that the insurance companies ripped us off first. We take advantage of government programs, receiving unearned benefits while claiming that it is because we pay our taxes and don’t get our “fair share.
John is clear. We will only know joy – true joy – when we are of service to others. Authentic and personal generosity of heart and mind for the other is the core of his message. That abiding sense of self-sacrifice while respecting and sanctifying the dignity of the other is the challenge of John as we prepare for the coming of the Lord.
True abiding joy – the “Good News” – that John proclaimed comes from that sense of discovery of God in the other. To recognize and acknowledge that gift of God in the other is necessary as we seek to find God in himself. When we treat the other with due dignity, respect, and integrity, we not only have the possibility of changing the fortunes or dispositions of the other, be we ourselves are also necessarily changed.
As we approach these final days of Advent, may we all discover the opportunities to be gifts of true joy to one another, so that we might spread the good news of the kingdom to all people.
Father Garry Koch is pastor of St. Benedict Parish, Holmdel.