A Message from Bishop Ruggieri on the Nativity of St. John the Baptist
June 24th celebrates the Nativity of St. John the Baptist in our Church. This day is a solemnity, the highest-ranking liturgical celebration in our Church. John the Baptist is very significant in the Diocese of Portland as our secondary patron along with St. Patrick. Our patroness is Mary, under the title of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, and our Cathedral takes its name from her.
St. John the Baptist is important for many reasons: his birth is miraculously announced by the archangel Gabriel, he goes before Jesus preparing the hearts of the people for the coming of the Messiah, and he is killed for speaking the truth. In the Gospel of John the Evangelist, St. John the Baptist says, “He must increase; I must decrease.” (3:30). John is referring to Jesus. John’s mission is to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord and then step aside. John was not called to be an apostle. He was simply but importantly given the mission to be the forerunner of Jesus. Once Jesus came, John’s mission was complete.
Thinking about this, I marvel at St. John the Baptist’s humility. He knew his purpose, his mission, and did not go beyond it. It would have been very easy for John to build his own cult of personality because he was extremely popular. He could have filled his ego with the admiration and adulation of the masses, but he didn’t do that. “Behold, the Lamb of God,” (John 1:36) is what he says to his own disciples, pointing out Jesus, and diverting their attention to where it belonged.
The excitement that John experienced in the womb of his mother Elizabeth when she was visited by Mary (Luke 1:39-56) continued as he witnessed God’s plan develop as an adult. My prayer for all of goodwill today is that the joy of the Lord may fill our hearts and lives. Joy is a fruit of knowing the abiding presence of Jesus. Joy remains even in times of sorrow and trial.
Finally, I would like to make a suggestion for our readers. John knew his mission. Take a few moments in quiet prayer to “be” with the Lord. Let Jesus know the desires of your heart. With the Lord present to you, ask yourself if the desires of your heart are aligned with your present mission or purpose in life. If your mission or purpose in life is not aligned with desires of your heart, ask why they are not aligned? Maybe the Lord is inviting you to something more, more in accord with the desires of your heart. Maybe your desires are not aligned with your mission because your desires are selfish or totally self-serving. If this is the reality, ask the Lord to help you be more generous with the gift of yourself to others and to Him. The Vatican II document Gaudium et Spes, in presenting on the communal nature of the human person says, “This likeness reveals that man, who is the only creature on earth which God willed for itself, cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself.” (24) John the Baptist knew this truth. He found himself by giving himself fully to Jesus as the one who prepared the way.
Happy Solemnity!
