January 2, 2025

John 1:19-28

In this reading, John the Baptist came before Jesus, baptizing people and asking them to repent and turn back towards God. In this sense, he was preparing people to receive Jesus and to be receptive towards him.  This was like in our personal spiritual practice, purification is helpful for our readiness to connect with God’s presence.  Here purification means practicing the virtues, as the great Saint Teresa of Avila taught us is essential for contemplative and mystical prayer. 

However, the Jewish authorities came to challenge John and ask by what authority did he baptize – was he the Messiah?  Or Elijah come back to earth? Or the final prophet predicted by Moses?  No, none of those, he replied.  Rather, he was “the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘make straight the way of the Lord.’”  This verse is from the prophet Isaiah.  The voice of one crying in the wilderness is the act of speaking truth, the truth of God, announcing the coming of Christ.  The wilderness is both literally true of John who lived in the desert, and spiritually true for our experience today.  We must speak our spiritual truth, even if very few are listening, even if it feels like we are alone in the wilderness.  Still speak truth.

Making straight the way of the Lord is opening a path to our heart for God’s presence, and again, this means practicing the virtues of unselfishness, compassion, empathy, and truthfulness in a self-disciplined manner.  It means adherence to peace and justice – that prepares the way of the Lord.  If we are not the beacons of peace and justice, then who will be?  Who will hold the line, who will care for those easily stepped on and oppressed?  Where will hope be, if all are selfishly abandoned?  It is up to us. 

That is all.