TUESDAY, JAN 2
John 1:19-28
This is the testimony of John.
When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to him
to ask him, “Who are you?”
He admitted and did not deny it, but admitted,
“I am not the Christ.”
So they asked him,
“What are you then? Are you Elijah?”
And he said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?”
He answered, “No.”
So they said to him,
“Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us?
What do you have to say for yourself?”
He said:
“I am the voice of one crying out in the desert,
‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’
as Isaiah the prophet said.”
Some Pharisees were also sent.
They asked him,
“Why then do you baptize
if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?”
John answered them,
“I baptize with water;
but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,
the one who is coming after me,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.”
This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,
where John was baptizing.
Grace: I ask for the grace to know Jesus in a deeper way that I may abundantly love and follow him.
John is causing the Jews in Jerusalem problems! You can sense the confusion in the priests and Levites, “Who are you?” “Why then do you baptize…?” They are very concerned! But, why are they concerned? They have to report back; they have to give an answer to the ones who sent them. But, it’s more than that. The Jews needed to know how to respond to this man. If he was the Messiah, then they would need to respond to the Messiah. But, if he’s not the Messiah, then who is he?
Throughout the Scriptures, people ask these same questions over and over. If we are honest, we also ask these questions! Not necessarily because we want to find out who others are, but because we need to discover who we are in relation to them.
There is no question about the identity of Jesus. The angel told Mary she will deliver the “Son of the Most High” (NAB, Luke 1:32). The angels tell the shepherds, “For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord.” (NAB, Luke 2:11) Our God does not hide His identity; He is always revealing Himself to us. God became human and humanity has never been the same! We are invited into a relationship with our God who lived as one of us. So, the question left to us is, “How does this change who we are?” If we believe that God became human because of His great love for us, the question becomes, “How shall we live in response?”
For Reflection and Prayer:
Take some time to reflect on the ways in which your belief in the Christmas miracle makes a difference in the way you live your life.
The Contributor:
Sister Sue Pontz, SS.C.M. currently ministers at Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, TX. Sue recognizes that spiritual direction is a sacred ministry in which her role is that of an observant listener. She hopes that each session provides the sacred space needed for her directees to notice the graced ways in which God is moving within each of them. Sue received her training to be a Spiritual Director at Loyola House Retreat Center, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
Learn more about Magis Ignatian Spirituality Programs
Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No portion of this text may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.