Strong in Spirit

June 24, 2008

Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist Mass during the Day

It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth. Isaiah 49:6

Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, “What, then, will this child be?” For surely the hand of the Lord was with him. The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel. Luke 1:65-66, 80

Piety

Father in heaven, help us to prepare the way of the Lord. Give us what we need to grow strong in the spirit so we can accept the tasks the Lord has reserved for us. Help us to be like John and live lives of simplicity and hope. Help us to be like John and reveal and affirm your truth that is so often hidden from the world. Help us to hear the Lord calling us as he has since we were in our mother’s womb. And make our hearts leap in faith as we confront the face of the Lord in all those we meet. Amen.
(Based on prayers for today in Benedictine Daily Prayer: A Short Breviary.)

Study
http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/062408.shtml

After recounting key parts of the Biblical story of Elijah for the past two weeks in our readings, we turn our attention today to the appearance of the prophetic voice in the Bible who opened eyes and ears to the messenger who was to follow. Like Elijah, John would rebuke kings for breaking the law. But unlike Elijah, John was the final prophet to prepare the people of Israel for the coming of the Messiah.

Yet his message was so profound, the city could not even hold him. St. Gregory Palamas noted that John lived in the desert because “the world was not worthy of him.” John became a voice crying out in the wilderness. What a voice he was and what a message he shared.

Throughout all history, all time, do you know that there are ONLY TWO people whose very birth is commemorated by Church feasts? We all know that Jesus is one…Christmas. John, as you have probably guessed, is the other. Today we could call “Johnmas” this Solemnity of the Birth of John which comes exactly six months before Christmas Eve. As St. Augustine put it, “Surely this fact can not be without significance!”

St. Augustine noted the contrasts between these two pillars of love in his Sermons: “John was born of an aged barren woman; Christ, of a young virgin. John John’s father did not believe in his birth and was struck dumb; Christ found belief and was conceived by faith.” He continued that John is the boundary-wall between the old and the new covenants. Even in the womb, John was a prophet leaping for joy at Mary’s coming.

Zechariah’s voice was restored when his son was born…a son who became the voice crying out in the desert. St. Augustine concludes that “John was the Voice, but the Lord is the Word.”

Action

As we think about John the Baptist living in the desert, we must realize that so many of our sisters and brothers live without a home in today’s world. The Church is an active champion to care for those who are homeless.

According to an action alert by the USCCB:

The Federal Housing Finance Regulatory Reform Act of 2008 (no bill number has been assigned yet), a broad government sponsored enterprises/foreclosure prevention bill, which passed the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee with strong bipartisan support on May 20, could come to the Senate floor for a vote any day now. This bill includes a National Housing Trust Fund that would produce and preserve housing for extremely low and very low income households.

Catholic Social Teaching has long recognized housing as a basic human right. The Catholic community—through its parishes, diocesan structures, and Catholic Charities agencies—is one of the largest providers of shelter in the nation. Since the late 1960's, the federal government through the Department of Housing and Urban Development has solicited, encouraged, and funded a variety of Church sponsored housing--particularly senior housing, transitional housing, homeless shelters, and some family units.

Bishop William Murphy, on behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, has written to the Senate urging support of a National Housing Trust Fund as “a genuine opportunity to let the American people know that the housing needs of low-income families are a national priority...” and to “demonstrate how vitally important housing is to the well-being of families and our communities.”

Please call your senators today, urging them to support the Housing Trust Fund championed by Senators Christopher Dodd and Jack Reed in the Senate Banking Committee. Please use this toll free number, 1-877-210-5351, to reach the Congressional switchboard and ask to be connected to your senators’ offices. Ask to speak to the legislative assistant who handles housing issues for your senators. You may locate your Senators at www.senate.gov.