This is the one about whom Scripture says: Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, he will prepare your way before you. I
tell you, among those born of women, no one is greater than John; yet
the least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he.” Luke 7:27–28
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Saint John the Baptist was
truly great. He was the promised prophet foretold by Isaiah who would be
the “messenger” who would precede the Christ, the Messiah. Many believe
that John was sanctified within the womb when he leapt for joy when
encountering the presence of Christ during the Visitation. John then
faithfully fulfilled his mission of being the last of the Old Testament
prophets and died prior to Jesus giving His life for the salvation of
all. For these reasons, John is considered the greatest of those born of
women, prior to the glorious gift of salvation in Christ.
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Of course, after praising John
for his greatness, Jesus then goes on to point out that even “the least
in the Kingdom of God” is greater than John. This is simply because
everyone who is now a member of the Kingdom of God was given a gift that
John never enjoyed in this life. We are given the gift of grace so as
to actually share in the divine nature. Through baptism, we become
sharers in God’s very life by grace. This transformation of our very
being is something that John the Baptist did not share in until after
his death when Jesus opened the gateway to salvation.
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Imagine being John the
Baptist. Imagine being given this incredible responsibility and
unbelievable privilege of not only being a blood cousin of Jesus but
also being called to preach to the people so as to prepare them for
Jesus’ ministry and the gift of salvation. What a privilege that would
be!
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But according to the words of
Jesus, we are all given something even greater. We are given the
privilege of not only a blood relationship with Jesus but a
transformation of our very soul, sharing in His divine nature. We are
privileged to become totally new creations by grace. And we are also
privileged to then be called to go forth and to prepare the way for
Christ in the lives of others.
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Sometimes, we can take the
gift of salvation for granted. We can easily fail to comprehend this
incredible gift. As a result, we can fail to have gratitude and fail to
be in awe of what we have become in Christ.
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One of the central messages of
Advent is that God became man so that we could share in His divinity.
This reality is beautifully presented in the prayer that the priest
prays at Mass as he mixes the water and wine:
By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the
divinity of Christ Who humbled himself to share in our humanity.
What a gift! We are called to actually share in Christ’s divinity! This
gift makes us members of the Kingdom of God and is a far greater gift
than even John the Baptist received in his earthly life.
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Reflect, today, upon the
amazing gift that you have been given through the life, death and
resurrection of Christ. If you are one who has fallen into the trap of a
lack of gratitude for this gift, use this Advent season to rekindle
your awareness of and gratitude for all that God has done for you.
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My divine Savior, I thank
You for the awe-inspiring gift of grace You have given me, inviting me
to actually share in Your divinity. May I become more and more aware of
this gift and become eternally grateful for all You have done for me.
Jesus, I trust in You. | |
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