TODAY’S GOSPEL (Lk 1:57-66)

From Luke 1:66b:

“What, then, will this child be?
For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.”

From Opening the Scriptures: Bringing the Gospel of Luke to Life, page 41

“Luke concludes his account of the birth and naming of John with his own comment: “For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.” The Old Testament uses the expression “hand of the Lord” to convey the power of God (Joshua 4:24; see Exod 7:4; 13:3; 15:6); the hand of the Lord being with or upon someone means that he is empowered and guided by God (1 Kings 18:46; 1 Chron 28:19; Ezra 7:28; Ezek 1:3; 3:14, 22)/ Surely someone born to a previously barren woman in fulfillment of an angel’s words has been sent by God to carry out a special work, and surely God will empower and guide him to accomplish his mission/ By adding that final comment, Luke invites his readers to join those pondering what this child will be and to share their sense of anticipation.”

My take

“Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” (Mt 11:11)

We think much of and revere deeply the greatest woman to be born of woman, the Blessed Virgin Mary, but how much do we consider the greatest man born of woman, as declared by Jesus Himself!, John the Baptist? Fittingly, he is the only person in Heaven, aside from Jesus and His mother, whom we honor by celebrating his earthly birth on the liturgical calendar (June 24, appropriately, six months before Christmas).

This man was repeatedly asked if he was the Messiah. How powerful must his preaching have been? Herod wondered if Jesus might be John reincarnated. What sort of impact must John have had on all of Judea? People flocked to him from miles around, confessing their sins and seeking a baptism of repentance. How much weight must his words have carried with the general population? The wife of Herod wanted John shut up for good. What weight must his words have carried with the commonfolk?

My suggestion is to read everything in Scripture about John the Baptist in one sitting (it won’t take very long). I have listed and linked below, all Gospel passages pertaining to John:

• Lk 1:5-25 (annunciation and conception of John)
• Lk 3:1-22 (John’s public ministry, his future arrest by Herod, Jesus’ baptism)
• Mt 3:1-16 (John introduced and the baptism of Jesus)
• Mk 1:2-11 (John introduced and the baptism of Jesus)
• Jn 1:6-8, 15 (from the Prologue)
• Jn 1:19-37, 40 (John’s public ministry, his prophesying about Jesus and the retelling of the Spirit coming upon Jesus, his encouraging his disciples to follow Jesus)
• Lk 7:18–23 (John sends disciples to Jesus to ask if He is the Messiah)
• Jn 3:23-30, 4:1-2 (John baptizing and commenting on Jesus baptizing; Jesus’ disciples baptizing)
• Jn 5:31-36 (Jesus extolling John as a precursor to Him)
• Lk 7:24-35 (Jesus extolling John to the crowds)
• Mk 1:14-15 (indicates John’s arrest)
• Mk 3:18-22 (John’s disciples; on fasting)
• Mk 6:14-29 (Herod’s suspicions about Jesus; the recounting of John’s imprisonment and death)
• Lk 9:7-9: (Herod’s suspicions about Jesus and his speaking of John’s death)
• Mk 8:27-30 (speculation that Jesus is John)
• Lk 9:18-22 (speculation that Jesus is John)
• Jn 10:40-41 (the crowds compare Jesus and John)
• Lk 11:1 (Jesus asked to teach His disciples how to pray as John taught them)
• Mk 11:27-33 (Jesus’ authority questioned and He invokes John)
• Lk 16:1 (John invoked by Jesus as the last prophet)
• Lk 20:1-8 (Jesus’ authority questioned and He invokes John

John’s baptism is also referred to in Acts 1, 10, 11, 13, 18, 19.

John the Baptist, pray for us, that we may join you in the kingdom, even as the “least.”

The Birth of St. John the Baptist (1370 – 1371 probably) by Don Silvestro dei Gherarducci

God bless!