Gospel: John 1:6-8, 19-28
A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. And 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.
Homily
When I was a little child we always spent our vacations in Surrey Village, Lopinot. There was no electricity in the Lopinot Valley in those days. There were no street lights and on depended on kerosene lamps and flambeaux to give some light during the evening and the night. When the moon was up it could be very beautiful for the moonlight gave a peculiar but beautiful glow to most things; on moonless nights however it was very dark and could be very frightening. Since in those days there was no television, many nights were spent storytelling and of course the Anansi and ghost stories were prevalent. In fact some of the stories of douens and les diablesses were so frightening that we little children never dared to venture outside. I remember waking on many a night and praying for the dawn to come quickly so that we could be in the light again. Light always has the ability to take away or to mitigate fear. Light allows us to distinguish friend from enemy; light allows us to see obstacles or clear road; light allows us to distinguish the true from the fake.
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Climate change which can ruin the world is a growing danger; the ever deepening oil crisis throughout the world threatens the stability of nations; the Ebola virus in West Africa and ISIS in the Middle East and Boko Haram in Nigeria, the AIDS pandemic, all point to a world in crisis. Here in T&T, there is the murder rate which refuses to decline and the incessant reports of violence in the home and in schools; there are the growing concerns about corruption and the repatriation of immigrants. There is a growing inability to distinguish truth from falsehood’ and the propagation of half-truths and innuendo has become par for the course. In the midst of this darkness we ask ourselves; who or what is the solution?
Throughout the years as the symptoms of this impending implosion grew clearer, many solutions have been tried; many “isms” have come and gone but none addressed the root cause of the problems affecting our planet; the selfishness and greed of human beings. Today the Gospel reminds us once again; two thousand years ago, a man came to testify to the “Light”, to the “Light” which even now has the power to lead the world out of the darkness in which it finds itself, a darkness which brings with it death and suffering to so many. It is you and I, disciples of Jesus, who today must be the new John the Baptists. We have to be the present day lawyers giving powerful testimony by our very lives of the absolute need which we have of the light if we are to be saved, always understanding however that we ourselves are not the light, only lawyers for the light. That “Light”, which is so necessary, is of course Jesus Christ and the values which he proclaimed by his life and teaching.
Throughout the years the world has tried the values proclaimed by a myriad of “isms”. All have failed to bring about the utopia for which the world longs. We must embrace the “baptism of repentance” proclaimed by John if we are to overcome the selfishness and greed which is the cause of the stifling darkness which pervades our world. Let us embrace the baptism of repentance first of all in our personal lives. Let us proclaim it and live it in our families. Let us teach it in our schools. If we do, the “Light” will begin to shine again for us, leading us through the darkness safely home. If we do not create a tsunami carrying the values of Jesus Christ into every heart and nook and cranny of our land, we will be doomed to live in the darkness which will ultimately destroy us.
Prayer
All powerful and ever-loving God, our world lives in darkness brought about by our selfishness and greed. Our world needs the “Light” but the “Light” will not be accepted unless we give testimony to the “Light.” Help us your disciples to be the new John the Baptists giving testimony to the “Light” by our very lives so that the world might believe. We ask this through the intercession of Mary our Mother and the Light himself, Jesus Christ your Son. Amen
