Shanborlang Mawrie csc –
Readings: Mal 3:1-4; 4:5-6; Lk 1:57-66
As a messenger of Christ, what message do I send out to others?
The readings of today are interconnected, because both the readings speak about the one who will be preparing the way for the coming of the Lord. Prophet Malachi tells us that the Lord will send the messenger who will challenge the stubborn heart. He sends warning of destruction to those who are not ready to repent from their old life.
God chose John the Baptist to be his messenger and to prepare the way for the Messiah. The coming of John the Baptist reminds us that God is calling us to be his messengers to fulfill his redemptive plan. We are entrusted with the responsibility to bring people to God and to enable them to experience the closeness of God.
John’s virtue of humility helped him to work for the Messiah. To do his mission he acknowledged himself as an instrument of God. By bearing the name ‘John’ he announced to the world that God is gracious. Like John we need to reach out to the people communicating the goodness of the Lord.