Reflection for January 2
Jason Peters, The Septuagint - Freedom and Liberty
It’s the beginning of the Twelve Days of Christmas! And we are waiting for the arrival of Wise Men. We are never completely settled. We are constantly waiting for something.
Yet, Jesus comes to us every day with comfort, challenges, peace. In today’s gospel, we meet John the Baptist: an imposing character. When he was asked, “Are you the Messiah?” He answered, “No.” Then they asked, “Why do you baptize?” And John responded, “𝐼 𝑏𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑧𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑂𝑛𝑒 𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑤ℎ𝑜𝑚 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑑𝑜 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑔𝑛𝑖𝑧𝑒…” Is John asking us to look for this One who is among us?
Think of the people of Israel: their history was a stumbling progress touched often by their offenses, just as ours is, and often they were not even conscious of their orientation to God. God even sent many prophets to them, calling them back. And they did not recognize this call.
Some months ago, a man came toward me in a parking lot and asked, “Are you Sister Maryann?” I answered, “Yes.” “My name is Gary,” he said, “and I first met you when I was 18 years old and incarcerated in the state prison here in Connecticut. You walked through my cellblock every morning in order to get to the prison school, and every single day as you passed by, you would say, “Good Morning, Gary.” And then I would say a little prayer for you asking God to keep you safe while you were inside with us.”
We talked for a while, but I truly did not remember him. And I thought to myself, “𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑂𝑛𝑒 𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑤ℎ𝑜𝑚 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑑𝑜 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑔𝑛𝑖𝑧𝑒.” He was the presence of God in my life, praying that I would be safe in that place where none of them was safe, and I did not recognize that. I have not seen him again, but every time I think of him, that incisive statement of the Baptist comes to my mind: “𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑂𝑛𝑒 𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑤ℎ𝑜𝑚 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑑𝑜 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑔𝑛𝑖𝑧𝑒.”
How many others have passed through my life and yours and we have not recognized the presence of God in them?
Constantly Christ comes.
Sr. Maryann Cantlon, C.S.J.