My dear friends, we hardly get good news these days. When we turn on our television or visit any of our social media platforms, it is almost the same. The media are commercialized. It is more of business and commercial news, adverts, negative influences and influencers, online abuses, criticisms, attacks, relative interpretation of views and misconceived theories. There is no more objective assessment of events, and these upset most people as they would always turn off the media and do something else.
The truth is that the values of our society are disappearing, and the world is becoming more secular than ever. However, the real good news is in the person of Christ himself, and He would never disappear or end. We celebrate him every year at Christmas. We are all waiting, for it already. It is the good news that started with the birth of John the Baptist, the messenger and forerunner of Christ.
The Birth of John the Baptist
The Gospel today is all about the birth of John the Baptist. The neighbours and relatives of Elizabeth heard the good news that the Lord had blessed the family of Elizabeth and Zacharia and came to rejoice with them. The news changed the mood of the community around the family, and everyone shared the joy. This is because it had been a long-awaited news since the news of the pregnancy of Elizabeth was made known. Besides, Malachi, in the first reading today, prophesied in the name of the Lord saying: ‘behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his Temple’ (Malachi 3:1-3). The messenger referred thereto here is no other than John the Baptist -the new Elijah.
Malachi in his prophecy noted the duties of the messenger. He was meant to be the ‘refiner’s fire’ and ‘purifier of silver’ of his people, that is the one to cleanse the sons of Levi and the people so that they would be whole in bringing their offerings in righteousness before the Lord and to make the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old. This entails conversion of heart which were one of the focal points of the teaching of John the Baptist, to turn the hearts of men and women toward God before the coming of Christ’ (Malachi 4:6).
The Divine Signal of John the Baptist
The naming ceremony of John the Baptist brought a huge blessing to the family. It is for me a divine signal or approval of John as a special baby with a divine missionary mandate. None of his relatives were in support of giving him the name John except his mother, perhaps because of the special encounters she witnessed. Remember the change of the health status of her husband Zacharia when the message was delivered to them; the visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the joy the baby John shared with his mother in the womb.
So, being aware of all these divine interventions, she gave her the name John. When the relative could not accept that, Zacharia was giving the opportunity to make his own suggestion, and he wrote: ‘his name is John’ (Luke1:63). Immediately, another divine intervention took place. He was released of his power of speech, and he blessed the Lord. It was amazing. You could imagine the joy that enveloped the room and environ at that time. The good news spread everywhere like a wide fire as if there were social media platform. It was amazing.
Conclusion
God’s plan is always for good, and it brings unbelievable joy whenever it comes to fulfilment. The birth of John the Baptist was a huge news to the world as well as that of Christ which we celebrate annually at Christmas. Let us therefore be disposed to follow God’s plans by preparing our hearts and souls through repentance and conversion for Christ to be born into our souls at Christmas.
Peace be with you.
