First Reading: Isaiah 61:1-2, 10-11
Second Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
Gospel: John 1:6-8, 19-28
At this time of Advent, John the Baptist takes a very prominent place. He must have been an extraordinary character. He had the ability to attract many people to what he was saying. He was capable of touching the heart of those who came to listen to him, leading them to make radical decisions in their lives. He was indeed a powerful witness to Jesus Christ. People must have seen in him integrity and honesty. They must have realised that this man is for real. His life was in agreement with what he was preaching. There was no contradiction between his daily behaviour and his belief. It is also interesting how St John in today's gospel describes St John the Baptist. He calls him "a witness to speak for the light". John the Baptist's aim was not to lead people to himself, but to point them towards Jesus. "I must decrease, while he (Jesus) must increase".
I read a very moving story not so long ago that occurred in China. There were these two doctors who had met while studying medicine. They got to know each other very well. They fell in love and married. They had one son. The wife was Catholic, brought up so lovingly by her parents. Her husband did not practice any religion. Like his wife he was very dedicated to his work and concentrated all his energies towards helping those who were sick. His wife tried to encourage him to become a Catholic so that they would provide a strong and unified education to their son. However, he was not really prepared to make such a step. He preferred rather to continue to live as he always did.
During the cultural revolution initiated by Mao Tse Tung and the so called Red Brigade, many intellectuals and professional people were arrested and sent to remote places to be re-programmed. In reality this meant that such people were forced to either conform to the current government policies or else suffer dire consequences. This husband was one of those people who was forced to leave his family to be sent to these special camps. Only God knows what he went through. He must have endured great humiliation, difficult manual work and harsh indoctrination. Over all these things, there was also the deep pain of being separated from his wife and only child.
Government officials tried to persuade his wife to abandon her husband, to divorce him officially so that all ties will be severed. Their intention was to make the husband so alienated that he would ultimately succumb to what the government wanted him to do. However, the wife refused to follow this path. As a Catholic she was determined to remain faithful to her promises towards her husband.
After many years, her husband together with others who were in the same labour camps were set free by the government. They boarded trains to go to their respect homes. His wife was informed about this and together with her son she went to the railway station to welcome her husband home. When the train arrived, she was the only woman present to welcome her husband. Most of the others divorced their husbands and remarried because of the pressures put on them by the government officials. One can only imagine how this husband felt when he was able to hug his wife and only child once again. He was so overwhelmed by this experience that he decided to be baptised. He was deeply touched by the integrity and the faithfulness of his wife.
This witness of integrity and fidelity is still very much needed in our society today. For many Jesus Christ has indeed become a very distant figure. He has become someone whose influence for many has been blurred over the years. For many, Jesus has become a very vague image of someone who has made a bit of a difference but who has no impact at all on their lives. Not so long ago the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney made the comment that for many children the name Jesus is identified with a swear word and not with the person of the second person of the Holy Trinity. For many, the words of today's gospel are literally true. "There stands one among you whom you know not". Indeed Jesus still needs witnesses today, people who can effectively make him present to others.
We cannot be true witnesses if we are in darkness. We can only be witnesses when we are living in the light. This means that we can bring the touch of Jesus to others only when we ourselves are living the very life that Jesus has promoted. We cannot enable others to experience the touch of Jesus unless we have experienced that touch ourselves. One of the great philosophical principals that has stayed with me since my school days is "You cannot give, if you have not got it". We can only give to others, what we possess ourselves. This is very true in all facets of life including our faith. It is only a question of passing on to others the content of our faith. This is also a very important element. However, our Catholic faith is basically a relationship with this loving God and what is also needed to be passed on are such values as compassion, forgiveness, unselfish acceptance, respect for every human being and a sense of thanksgiving for all that God has blessed us with (Second Reading and Responsorial Psalm).
Without the witness of people like you and me, the face of Christ, already blurred, will continue to fade from our world. He will continue to stand among us, unknown and unrecognised. And hearts will remain broken, and people will still remain imprisoned in their fears and anxieties. Moreover, many will not be able to realise their full potential because it is only a close relationship with God that can lead each one of us to fully understand who we are and what powerful things we are enabled to attain.
This task is not one for individual Christians only but for us as a community. It is easier to witness to Jesus Christ as a member of a supportive community. Let us never underestimate the great work that we can do when together united in the real presence of Jesus Christ we move forward among those whom we meet daily.
God bless.
Bishop Joe Grech
