CYCLE B JOHN THE BAPTIST

CYCLE B JOHN THE BAPTIST
Readings adapted to preach on Fortnight for Freedom

1. If your not aware, the Catholic Church, lead in a show of unity by our countries bishops, has come to recognize that in the governmental process over the last 40 years, in forming laws and policy, there has come to be a number of issues that have been considered to be increasingly detrimental to the Christian Heritage, as well as our American Heritage of LIBERTY in this country.

The issues of CONCERN are the LIFE ISSUES – EUTHANASIA, HUMAN CLONING, EMBRYONIC STEM-CELL RESEARCH, ABORTION and the fundamental social issue of Family, which in this country means the DEFINITION of MARRIAGE. And now, the latest issue to come to the forefront is the part of the Human Health Services (HHS) mandate which calls for nearly all health insurance policies to cover what is unilaterally defined as ‘essential preventive services; this title includes various contraceptives, male and female sterilization and chemical abortifacients.

These issues according to the Bishops are non-negotiable Catholic issues. And some are most grave, as they are at the foundation of all our rights and responsibilities.

In the seriousness of these issues which affect our daily lives and the Churches understanding and obligation to preach the ‘Good News’ of our Lord Jesus, because these issues ARE contrary to the teachings of the church and our growing concern for freedom; the Bishops have organized the ‘Fortnight for Freedom’ as a campaign to raise awareness and seek change of these issues through PRAYER, ACTION and EDUCATION.

2. It is on this feast of John the Baptist, that the church Bishops, see a great opportunity to ‘Break Open’ the word of God, and based upon the great scripture figure head of John the Baptist, want to show to us, how we all are CALLED as Baptized Catholics to become the Evangelizers and Prophets of today in these morally troubled times. For John too faced the moral and spiritual issues of his day. Today, the issues at stake, are again grave and have already or will have the ability diminished our Liberty, established by the constitution, to practice our Religion.

(For the homily from the readings of the Vigil of the feast)

3. In the reading we use for the Vigil of this great Feast of John the Baptist, we heard in Jeremiah… “Say not, ‘I am too young’. To whomever I send you, you shall go; whatever I command you, you shall speak. Have no fear before them….” As Baptized children of God, we have the divine mission to go where God sends us, or to be where God plants us, in order to testify to His Kingship. We must speak the Good News, by living out the commandments of our faith, and we shall not fear the power of the state.

4. In the letter of PETER, he encourages us to “…rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, as you attain the GOAL of your faith, the SALVATION of your souls.” Our LOVE for Christ MUST BE GREATER than our satisfaction and commitment to our country. Our JOY in Christ and our commitment to live out our faith totally, MUST BE GREATER than our satisfaction and commitment to our nation. Our ETERNAL SALVATION is the goal of faith; in pursuing this goal, our nation can and must only contribute GOOD LAWS that foster Christian behavior.

5. And from LUKE as we heard about the prophecy of the birth and ministry of John, we come to understand that the Church is like Elizabeth; BARREN of worldly POWER and RANK. Yet, like Elizabeth and Zechariah, we have the divine promise of a kingdom coming to birth – Christ’s kingdom, not any kingdom of man. There are miraculous signs, and we are sometimes afraid; yet, our role in this coming to birth is clear; to accept the gifts of the Holy Spirit, that give us the power to preach and evangelize, so as to ‘PREPARE A PEOPLE FIT FOR THE LORD’.

6. In this fortnight, the Bishops remind us, in all our prayer, actions and programs to raise awareness in this quest for true freedom; our efforts MUST foster PEACE and should focus on RELIGIOUS FREEDOM and should not dwell on parties, candidates or elections.

Also, the call to participate in the ‘Fortnight For Freedom’ should not be taken lightly. Especially in the call to Pray, for it is our GREATEST WEAPON to bring about the Kingdom of God. So one of the suggestions given for a prayer time, is called the ‘MINUTE TO WIN IT’. At three o clock, every day for 1 minute, the Bishops ask us to say a ‘Our Father’ or express the longings of our heart, seeking from God, true religious freedom and protection for the rights of conscience.

And Remember the Lord says, ‘Have no Fear…I am with you to deliver you.”

(For the Homily on Feast of John the Baptist from Bishops.)

3. In ISAIAH we heard him address the people saying… “I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach the ends of the earth.”

We have the light of Christ in His word, especially the Command- ments and the Beatitudes. Any government law, that would DIM that light, or LIMIT our freedom to carry it openly in the world, is unjust and must be resisted with FAITH and COURAGE. Our REWARD for bravely bearing the light, EVEN when or ESPECIALLY when, it costs us something, is the UNION WE SEEK with Christ in His Passion and Resurrection. We CAN do this, because God is our STRENGTH.

4. In ACTS today, John heralded the coming of the Lord, by proclaiming a Baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel… David was not a perfect king, but he repented and asked for God’s mercy. We are not perfect, nor is our government a perfect government. We should repent for the sins of our elected officials, especially the grave crimes of abortion and the efforts to restrict or punish the full expression of our Catholic faith in public. Just as John the Baptist, this repentance, even on the behalf of others, is necessary before our full union with Christ.

5. And in LUKE it said, Zechariah asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name” and all were amazed. Elizabeth and Zechariah understood from the angel that the custom of naming their child with a family name could not be more important than God’s request of naming the child. The people did not understand, and their amazement parallels the weakness of their faith. Just so, today, we understand that what God has firmly established, the nature of marriage as a (total, permanent, exclusive and fruitful) union of one man and one woman, and the liberty of the Church always and everywhere to proclaim the Gospel, regardless of human law, is much more important than public opinion, however much in favor currently. Many people do not understand this, and so they are amazed at us, as we obey God rather than men.

6. In this fortnight, the Bishops remind us, in all our prayer, actions and programs to raise awareness in this quest for true freedom; our efforts MUST foster PEACE and should focus on RELIGIOUS FREEDOM and should not dwell on parties, candidates or elections.

Also, the call to participate in the ‘Fortnight For Freedom’ should not be taken lightly. Especially in the call to Pray, for it is our GREATEST WEAPON to bring about the Kingdom of God. So one of the suggestions given for a prayer time, is called the ‘MINUTE TO WIN IT’. At three o clock, every day for 1 minute, the Bishops ask us to say a ‘Our Father’ or express the longings of our heart, seeking from God, true religious freedom and protection for the rights of conscience. And Remember the Lord HAS HIS HAND UPON US.

1. Luke introduces John the Baptist himself at the River Jordan Baptizing Jesus, an event that marks the beginning of Jesus public ministry. He tells us that it was “in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar. Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea and Herod being Tetrarch of Galilee…”. In saying it this way, we are not meant to regard Jesus’ activity that will follow as taking place in some sort of mythical world or unimportant way. It was meant to show they lived in real time in the history of man. And what was done by John or by Jesus or by any of the governing leaders mentioned or not mentioned, had the full impact that any action or event does at any time in history.

These people were also not mutually exclusive of each other. And their encounters with what each person did or said, had the potential to build good will or spark conflict that might have implications for the basic questions and needs facing humanity and human existence.

This necessary interaction has always been ongoing over the centuries and It is NO LESS the same today. We find ourselves in this 21st century after the lives of John, Jesus, Tiberius, Pontius or Herod, squarely in the mix of spirited debate and discourse of things temporal and spiritual, just as we know John and Jesus found themselves 21 centuries ago. And the conflict for them eventually caused them both to give up their lives in fulfilling their spiritual call.

2. We know well there is a important road of compatibility that each, Government and Church, are called to try for . For Jesus says in Mark: “Render to Cesar the things that are Cesar’s and to God the things that are God’s”. And at His hearing before Pilate, Pilate told Jesus that he has the power to set him free or to crucify Him. Yet Jesus told Pilate, he would have no power whatsoever if it were not given to him from above. So when Governmental powers claim to be the bringer of world peace or savior of humanity for our daily needs, the Christian has the obligation to be a influence in how that government brings these needs about and yet the Christian as leader or follower, still has the obligation to ‘…obey God more than men.” (Acts 5:29)