I tried to see whether there was any research done on this topic, but I couldn’t find anything, so I’ll just have to go with my own observations over the years, and you can tell me if you think I’m wrong: which is that John the Baptist really isn’t anyone’s favorite saint. He has great name recognition, you have to admit that, but it often doesn’t go much beyond that. You never hear about anyone who has a special devotion to John the Baptist, you know, who just loves the idea of him being a role model. You don’t hear about people choosing him as a confirmation name. I’m sure…
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John the Baptist is one of the saints that everyone knows, but I think it’s fair to say that he is not anyone’s favorite saint, and it isn’t hard to see why. He seems primitive, coming from the desert looking like someone who has lost his connection with civilization. He seems threatening, talking about fire and wrath. And here in December, he really doesn’t seem very positive or upbeat or Christmassy. That’s because every year, he is trying to tell us something that is hard to believe and hard to focus on. John is the saint who tells us both that something is coming but also that something is wrong.…
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This first reading is one of the most beautiful and ecstatic passages in Scripture. Put on the splendor of glory from God forever… Stand upon the heights, look to the east and see your children gathered from the east and from the west, rejoicing that they are remembered by God. But we should remember that it’s a vision that is being offered by the author of this reading so many years ago to people who think that this will never be possible. They have been exiled, refugees, scattered around their world, held prisoner in countries that are not theirs, blocked on the road that leads to safety and to home.…