Today we celebrate the feast of the Nativity of St. John the
Baptist. Each one of us also has a nativity.
To each one of us, as to John the Baptist, God says to us through the prophet Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you ” ( Jeremiah 1: 4-10, the first reading of the Vigil Mass for John the Baptist). Jeremiah responds to God: “Ah, Lord God, I know not how to speak; I am too young.” God comes back with: “Say not, ‘I am too young.’ To whomever I send you, you shall go; whatever I command you, you shall speak. Have no fear…I am with you to deliver you…Then the Lord extended his hand and touched my mouth, saying, ‘See, I place my words in your mouth! This is the day I set you over nations and over kingdoms to root up and to tear down, to destroy and to demolish, to build and to plant.”
To each one of us, as to John the Baptist, God says to us through the prophet Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you ” ( Jeremiah 1: 4-10, the first reading of the Vigil Mass for John the Baptist). Jeremiah responds to God: “Ah, Lord God, I know not how to speak; I am too young.” God comes back with: “Say not, ‘I am too young.’ To whomever I send you, you shall go; whatever I command you, you shall speak. Have no fear…I am with you to deliver you…Then the Lord extended his hand and touched my mouth, saying, ‘See, I place my words in your mouth! This is the day I set you over nations and over kingdoms to root up and to tear down, to destroy and to demolish, to build and to plant.”
I just returned from a meeting at St. John’s University in Collegeville, MN, where I was introduced to YTM (Youth in Theology and Ministry), a two-
year program for teenagers that includes two fourteen-day summer institutes at
John’s University. The summer program involves 1) theology
courses, 2) a prayer component, 3) service projects and 4) a vocational
discernment, leadership development and Catholic Social Teaching. Between
summers the students return to their parish to complete their service-justice
project in their own parishes.
Three teens presented their project, one of whom was an
Hispanic, 17-year-old woman who, on returning to her parish, presented a
faith-development program for teens at risk: they had either been suspended
from high school, were drop outs, had gotten in trouble with the law and, for
all set purposes, were headed down a path that could have destroyed them. At
the end of their faith formation, led by this YTM participant, were conducting
classes for first communicants and doing a session for confirmants!
“Say not,’ I am too
young.’ To whomever I send you, you shall go; whatever I command you, you shall
speak. Have no fear…I am with you to deliver you” (Jeremiah 1: 4-10).
What is God saying to you? To whom is God sending you to "root up and to tear down, to destroy and to demolish, to build and to plant" (Jeremiah 1: 4-10). What in you and me needs to be rooted up, torn down, destroyed, demolished so our faith radiates God's presence in our lives? What do we need "to build and to plant" in our lives so that our discipleship inspires and helps others find Christ?
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