Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

 Lectionary: 587

Truly you have formed 
my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother’s womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works.

Surely, the most wonderful sight in the universe is a new born human baby. In the eyes of the infant's father and mother, their flesh, limbs, eyes, mouth, touch, and smell appear more beautiful, amazing, and astounding than the parting of a Red Sea or someone soaring to heaven in a fiery chariot. Is it possible, they wonder, this miracle came of my body, of our union? 

And then there's the overwhelming responsibility coupled with the baby's vulnerability and miraculous resilience. It's terrifying and ennobling, and most parents rise to the occasion, although some flee in horror. Thank God, most embrace the opportunity and discover their purpose in life. 

But there are moments in our history when the times seem so bleak, it might be better not to have children. War, pestilence, famine, poverty: they discourage men and women from bearing children, but God gives us children anyway, even in those dark hours. He forces us to take courage and care for this helpless human being. 

Today we celebrate the Birth of John the Baptist. He was not born in a stable or laid in a manger like Jesus, but he was a given a dangerous task. It's never safe to speak the word of God. It's never safe to announce the coming of the Lord, but John began that work eagerly, enthusiastically -- before he was born. He danced for joy in his mother's womb as the Savior approached Jerusalem in the body of the Virgin Mother. 

The Angel Gabriel told Mary that, "Elizabeth your kinswoman is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible with God." And so we calculate that John was born six months before Jesus, on the twenty-fourth day of June. 

In midsummer we anticipate Christmas, and thank God again for the approach of our salvation.