JOHN THE BAPTIST the guiding (super) STAR.

scriptural reflection

" Among those born of women no one has arisen greater than john the baptist"

when we think of advent season a few characters flash in our mind and John the baptist gets all our attention. He is said to be the "hero"of advent season, as he plays a vital role in preparing us to receive the saviour when he comes. John is the messanger sent from God to prepare the way of the lord,to make his paths straight (mk 1:3). As his father Zachariah exalts, "little child, you shall go ahead of the lord to prepare his ways before him(lk1:76) .At his birth, people were amazed and astounded saying " what then this child will become? (lk 1 :66), and finally jesus himself gives him the highest honour possible in today's gospel as " john is the greatest among those who are born of women(mt11:11).

Prophet is said to be the "mouthpiece of god" and should stand for truth and all the life-giving values even at the cost of his own life. This tiny definition exactly fits in for John the baptist the "messenger and prophet" of God. He is an epitome of many a virtues and Values: humility, simplicity, courage, to name a few. He led a very simple life in the wilderness and spent his time fasting and praying thus preparing the people for the coming of the messiah. he wore simple clothes and ate simple food. he lived simple life renouncing the pleasures of the world, so that others may simply live.

He is a man of humility, for he identified himself with the 'reed in the wilderness' and confessed openly that he is not worthy even to untie the sandals of the one who comes after him (mt 3 :11). He always kept a low-profile of himself. He is also a man of courage; as someone said "courage is not the absence of Fear but the conquest of it". He faced boldly all the existing religious authorities of the time and raised his voice against all their ill doings and Malpracrtices. His confrontation with king herod and in the process loosing his head, stands as the best example of his courage and heroism.

John the baptist can be seen as an exemplary religious who effectively lived out all the evangelical counsels to the best of his ability. For he ilved poor; he was chaste in his love for God and his needy brethern; he was also totally obedient in carrying out the will of his heavenly Superior General.

John the baptist stands as the star that guided the wise men to bethlem to guide us also to child jesus. Let us follow this guiding STAR and emulate him in our ordinary lives specially in this time of advent so that we may be better prepared to have jesus be born in the 'interior crib' of our hearts. let us make it a worthy dwelling place forJesus to celebrate his 2006th birthday.

Each and every baptized persons shares in the three-fold mission of christ as priest, prophet, and king. Today in imitating John the baptist, " the prophet par excellence" let us resolve to be prophetic. let us not become dump and numb; mute and deaf at the sight of injustice, marginalization, exploitation, inequality and all the innumerable creulties by making constuctive efforts to uproot them from the face of the earth. Then we can say convincingly that we are 'prophets of love' in action.

Today we also celebarate the feast of St. John of the cross who was a great mystic of the Carmelite Order. we see the integaration of mysticism and Actualism in St. John the Baptist. let us thank god for both the saintly johns and ask his grace to imitate them, to walk humbly in their foot steps in the long and arduous journey of our vocation and be 'minor prophets' in our unique way'.

let this Advent and Christmas be yet another passing ones. let us vow to make this a meanighful one in our pursuit of being intimate follower of EMMANUELwho is God -in -us; God-with-us and God-for-us and make our entire life " an advent and a christmas" rather than confining this 'real event' to a routine annual celebaration .

yours in christ

M. MICHAEL AUGUSTINE SCJ