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The
highest courage is to dare to be yourself in the face of adversity,
choosing right over wrong, ethics over convenience, and truth over
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Travel the path of integrity without looking back, for THERE IS
NEVER A WRONG TIME TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
-
Bishop Soc Villegas
25 July 2007
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THE WAY FORWARD IN CHRIST
(Part 33)
JOHN THE BAPTIST AND OUR WORK OF EVANGELIZATION AND PRO-LIFE
June 24, 2010
Feast of John the Baptist
Today’s readings
Isaiah 49:1-6
Psalm 139:1-15
Acts 13:22-26
Luke 1:57-80
John the Baptist is an icon for our most important tasks in CFC-FFL. We
are an evangelistic and missionary community, and we renew the family
and defend life.
John leaped for joy in his mother Elizabeth’s womb when she heard
Mary’s greeting (Lk 1:41). David speaks about the amazing and
wonderful work of God in forming us in the womb. “You formed my inmost
being; you knit me in my mother’s womb. I praise you, so wonderfully
you made me; wonderful are your works! My very self you knew, my bones
were not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, fashioned as
in the depths of the earth.” (Ps 139:13-15).
What an amazing work is the life being formed by God in the womb. God
knits every cell and every part of us. What is unseen on the outside,
what to the world is happening in secret, is a wonderfully mysterious
work of the divine Being, a creature being made in His image and
likeness.
Satan’s work is abortion. This is not only the terrible taking of an
innocent and defenseless human life, but it is an assault on God’s
wonderful work and on His plan. That is why abortion is diabolical. In
like manner, contraception prevents even the start of the life that God
intends to create. This too is diabolical, as Satan prevents the
creation of a soul that would ultimately be with God eternally in heaven
(as happens to the souls of the aborted babies). Satan prevents a new
being who is destined to leap for joy in God’s presence.
Our task is to defend God’s work, the life that is to be or that is
being formed in the womb.
The second important work that John the Baptist points to is the work of
evangelization and mission. It is the work of going “before the Lord
to prepare his ways, to give his people knowledge of salvation through
the forgiveness of their sins” (Lk 1:76b-77). Like John, we are
God’s workers sent to proclaim the good news of salvation in Jesus.
“John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance to
all the people of Israel” (Acts 13:24). This is our task too, but now
we are to proclaim this salvation not just to Israel but to the ends of
the earth.
Who did John proclaim? For whom did he leap for joy? It was Jesus. And
it is Jesus too whom we proclaim. Jesus is the Savior. Jesus is the
suffering servant of God, who through his giving of his life on the
cross won for us our salvation.
The Servant of the Lord oracles in Isaiah have been taken to refer to
historical Israel, or ideal Israel, or an Old Testament historical
character, or the prophet Isaiah himself. The New Testament sees a
fulfillment of these prophecies in Jesus Christ. Since we are called to
be like Jesus, to follow in his footsteps, to take on his very nature of
holiness (1 Pet 1:15-16) and perfection (Mt 5:48), to continue the work
that he has started, we can look at how we fit in the call of the
Servant of the Lord.
First, the Lord called us from birth, from our mothers’ wombs gave us
our name (Is 49:1b). Giving us our name means God designates us for a
specific or special task. God formed us as His servants from the womb
(Is 49:5a). Before God even created us, He knew of His plan to call us
and to choose us to serve Him. It is our destiny to be where we are now.
Second, as far as CFC-FFL is concerned, God has done and is doing three
things for us as His servants. “It is too little, he says, for you to
be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the
survivors of Israel; I will make you a light to the nations, that my
salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” (Is 49:6). These are
the 3 R’s: raise up, restore, reach out.
God raised up CFC in 1981. As usual, the enemy attacked God’s
work, and almost succeeded in destroying CFC. In 2007, CFC split, but
God plucked a remnant from the ruins and restored it to CFC’s
authentic charism. This is CFC-FFL. Now God intends to use this
instrument to reach the nations of the world, to bring His
salvation to the ends of the earth. Like John the Baptist, we
participate in the work of preparing the world for the second coming of
our Lord Jesus.
We are privileged to be called and used like John the Baptist. God
destined us even before we were formed in the womb. And God uses us to
bring His salvation to the world.
We defend life, because life is God’s work, but also because all the
evangelizers and missionaries, just like us, will come into the world
through the wombs of their mothers. Satan works to prevent the coming of
God’s evangelizers right at the very start.
Then we expend our lives for the cause of Christ, to bring the salvation
he won on the cross into the lives of many others.
John asked, “Who do you suppose that I am?” (Acts 13:25a). I pray
that who we are as CFC-FFL is clear to us all. It has to be clear, so
that we can apply ourselves to our mission according to the plan of God.
Our life and mission is such a great privilege for us, something totally
undeserved. Though we are but mere sinful flesh, God uses us as His
divine instruments. Though we are just slaves, Jesus has called us
friends. Though we are powerless and not worthy, the Holy Spirit has
empowered us for the task. We proclaim Christ crucified, until he
returns once again.
“Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the
sandals of his feet.” (Acts 13:25b). Just like John the Baptist, let
us prepare the way for Jesus, and let us leap for joy at this great
privilege.
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