Let us begin with a question to reflect upon: Who is John the Baptist, today?

Let us go back and look at the original John the Baptist to understand both the question and the correct answer.

John the Baptist, we know, was Jesus’ cousin. However, what is important is that he is the last prophet of the Old Testament times. He is the last one to announce the coming of the Savior. He follows a long tradition of thousands of years in which a savior is promised. It is a tradition we see begin in the Book of Genesis. Yet, it ends with him. We miss a great point when we focus only on Jesus in that reality.

The time is about late 20’s AD. John is speaking and he is a man of vision and of visions. He is driven by the Holy Spirit speaking and preaching in new ways and in ways not seen by others. He does not preach in a synagogue but in the countryside and he preaches a call to repentance with a baptism that is one of immersion in the river. It is the precursor for what is to come.

Some embrace him and others reject him. Yet, he is unrelenting, why? Because the Holy Spirit is driving him to speak. He speaks with urgency, telling people to change their lives and to prepare themselves for the coming of the Lord. Many listen intently, but others wish he would shut up and go away. Some shudder in fear, others shudder in disgust. In either case, he speaks, because he is driven.

We know how his life ended. Salome had him beheaded, because she did not like his message.

Let us go back to the question. If we are living in a time when we are looking forward to the second coming of Jesus, is there a John the Baptist who would precede him? Whom might that John the Baptist be?

When we look at that question we can also ask if we would indeed listen to him. Would we dismiss him, or embrace him. Now let me ask: “Who would embrace him and who would dismiss him and why?”

Let me go the next step. Let us ask who is listening to us. I have told you that there is a great concern that the Catholic community of the United States is going the way of that of France, people will stop going to Church. They will consider going to church no longer important and they will no longer listen.

That is their choice. Yet, there are others who are driving that idea. Many are trying to silence our voice, they are trying to make it clear that you should not be heard. Just like Salome tried successfully eventually to silence John the Baptist there are many who are trying to silence Catholicism. They say don’t listen. We are too mature for that religion stuff. They look at Catholics and mock them and slander them and dismiss all Catholics as pedophiles and sex fiends. Yet, that is an inaccurate description. They do this for one reason, to get you to stop listening and to listen to the world.

However, if the Holy Spirit is driving the Church and people choose to stop listening, the question is not why? but whom? to whom are they listening if they are not listening to the Church. Are those forces, seeking to silence the church, winning in their desire to make Catholicism go away?

Your children who may not be attending mass, to whom are they listening? If they are not listening to the Church, to whom are they listening? What are those voices, to whom they are listening, indeed saying? Are they saying to stop listening to the Church? Are they mocking us and saying that as one person once said to me “Hell is for children.” meaning that religion is a childhood myth.

I want to remind you about John the Baptist, many said not to listen to him, but he had an important message and it was correct.

Let me explain. John the Baptist came on the scene at an ominous time for humanity. When he arrives preaching about the coming Savior, he called people to get ready. The Savior was to come, but also change was to come and it was in the air. They had to listen to the Savior because he would bring salvation to those who listened. To those who rejected Him, they were on their own.

When he arrived, Jerusalem may have been a hot bed of political discourse overseen by the Romans and focused on the Temple, but it was there. The Temple was the reminder that God was with his people. But John called people to not just accept that fact but to act on it too. Jesus did the same and he died for his mission, as did John. but Jesus rose to bring salvation. Some accepted him and some did not. Nevertheless the work had been done and mission was accomplished.

But there was a clock ticking in the background and as I said, it cannot be forgotten. Slightly more than thirty years after Jesus and John arrived on the scene, Jerusalem was wiped off the face of the map. The temple was destroyed never to be rebuilt again. I want to remind you of what that means. There were three temples. Four if you count David’s tent. The temple that Jesus preached near was the third and in the 70’s AD was destroyed by the Romans. In 1000 years there were three temples built. After Jesus’ death and resurrection the temple was destroyed for the last time and now 2000 years later it has yet to be rebuilt. Everything that the Temple was when it existed, ended. This is communicated in the bible, that Jesus’ death and resurrection brings Christianity to the next level of salvation from the mission of the chosen people, the Jews. This is indicated in the missing temple.

Everything John said came true and he warned that people had to prepare themselves and change their lives; some listened some did not.

Today, we have many trying to silence our voice and vehemently. Probably not as severely since the times of the early Roman empire.

They are saying don’t listen to the Catholics. Listen to us. But what is their message? They are teaching a human wisdom that is in darkness. In the first chapter of Romans, St. Paul warns that those who walk down the darkness of human wisdom will fall prey to their own decaying wisdom, yet, will remain blind in their pride. This is happening today, among those who reject us, they are falling prey to their own human wisdom and making ridiculous ideas and assumptions.Yet, they think they are correct  because in human terms they are wise.

Are these the people that others are listening to? Are these the people the children are listening to, when others say stay away from the Catholics.

I want to give you a lesson from the Wizard of Oz. Remember the great Wizard screamed that everyone was to ignore the man behind the curtain. He spoke like a vicious tyrant, and said to ignore him. “Silence!” he said. “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.” Why was he trying to get people away from him. Because once they found him, they found the truth.

Why are people acting like tyrants trying to get everyone to stop listening to the Catholics, and what happens if they succeed and people stop listening.

Better yet, to whom do they listen? Are they listening to the modern day John the Baptist? We will only know that answer if we can figure out whom that might be. Do you know?

God Bless You,

Fr. Robert J. Carr

Fr. Carr is an alliance member of the New Song Community. He is also pastor at St. Benedict Parish in Somerville, MA

Photo Credits:

All public domain