Daily reflection _ hear our prayers and keep us in your care

HEAR OUR PRAYERS AND
KEEP US IN YOUR CARE
John the Baptist indicates to us one important aspect of our Christian vocation. We should help to focus a light on Jesus Christ Who takes delight in us!
Deacon John Ruscheinsky
Listen again to a key passage from chapter five of today's first reading: "We know we belong to God... We also know that the Son of God has come and has given us discernment to know the One Who is true, in His Son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life" (1 Jn 5:19a, 20)! We belong to God and we are confident that He will look out for us and give us what we need. As God provides us with the grace to carry out the Gospel of love, we truly live by the two greatest commandments also known as the twin commandments: the love of God and the love of neighbor. This is our purpose.
In today's Gospel, John the Baptist attests to the authenticity of the mission of Jesus. We, too, are called to live and take action. John the Baptist had for his purpose, not to draw attention to himself, but to focus a light on the person of Jesus Christ. He sums up his mission by referring to Jesus when he says, "He must increase; I must decrease" (Jn 3:30).
Most people consider ambition a natural incentive. To want to be the first or the best is viewed as normal and surely the only way to get ahead in this world of ours. John the Baptist shows us a value which is just the opposite. His only ambition was to get out of the way so that Jesus could become first in the hearts of His own. He wanted the people to see and hear that following Jesus and not himself was the best thing that could happen to them.
As we acclaimed in the Responsorial Psalm: "The Lord takes delight in His people" (cf. Ps 149:4a)! John the Baptist indicates to us one important aspect of our Christian vocation. We should help to focus a light on Jesus Christ Who takes delight in us!