Crying Out in the Desert January 2

Memorial of Saint Basil the Great and Saint Gregory Nazianzen, bishops and doctors of the Church

And this is the promise that he made us: eternal life. 1 John 2:25

He said: “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.” John 1:23

Piety

Jesus, it is so hard to stay fresh. Even though you remain in us always, other people, places and things try to push you out. Sometimes, those forces make us feel like we are back in the wilderness awaiting John the Baptist. Lead us to the restful waters from which you send forth your Holy Spirit to purify and refresh us. Thus cleansed, help us resolve and commit ourselves in this New Year to a daily life filled with piety, study and action. Amen.

Study

http://www.usccb.org/nab/010207.shtml

Desert and wilderness. Water and purification.

These are among the signs we associate with John the Baptist and his ministry. People had lived in the desert (“without Christ”). To this wilderness, John brought water to prepare and purify them for life with Jesus. The water helped to overcome the dryness and separation people felt without Jesus in their lives. It got them ready and sustained them.

Every time we re-enter the Church and every time we go forth in peace to love and serve the world, we get to relive and refresh our baptism. If we get dry in our piety or stale in our study or weak in our action, then the Holy Water is there. Reach into it in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Through this act we revisit what John did in the desert 2000 years ago and we revisit our own initiation. This sacrament got us ready and it sustains us. Through it, Christ dwells in us and remains in us. Through it, we dwell in Christ and remain in Him.

The world wrings us out like a sponge and saps all our energy. We feel like a lone voice crying in the wilderness. We also go through dry cycles. Spiritually, there is always a source of eternal life ready to refresh us. We go back to Christ in our prayer, study and action. We go back to Church. We re-mind ourselves why we are here. We fill our minds, our hearts and our spirits to carry Christ back into the world, to put Christ back on our lips.

Jesus is always with us. Sometimes we are just more aware of His presence than at other times. Baptism helps wash away the dryness and purifies us to be in his presence again.

Action

How do you stay fresh in your Fourth Day? In Church and in the world, let your baptism wash away all your distractions. Don’t let anyone or anything deceive you – not the media, not the movies, not the Billboard Top 40, not Madison Avenue, and certainly not Wall Street. Renew your commitment to piety, study and action. Resolve to use weekly group reunion in 2006 to keep you focused and fresh.