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In Luke’s Gospel we have a brief description of Jesus being baptized by his cousin, John the Baptist. The details are scarce. We don’t know why Jesus chose to participate in this ritual or how it impacted his ministry. This story is problematic however, as this ritual was designed for sinners, why would Jesus who had not sinned be participating in this ritual?

This is a good lesson for us in that while we may have the right to do something we ought to also take into account the impact that our actions may have upon others.

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In today’s Gospel the arrival of the Magi is noted. This Gospel is full of symbolism about who Jesus would be. Some biblical traditions list the Magi as kings and some traditions have even named them, Caspar (or Gaspar), Melchior, and Balthazar. Likely, this naming is primarily derived from Western Christian tradition. Its highly unlikely that three kings would have gone into the desert alone without an entourage for protection. Likely if three kings showed up in a small town everyone would soon know and King Herod would not have had to rely on the Magi to find out exactly where Jesus was. The gifts brought by the Wise Men give us a hint and foretell the ministry of Jesus. Gold representing royalty, frankincense symbolizing divinity, and myrrh foreshadowing suffering and death.

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I like to do something special for Lent and Advent. Last Easter I set up an internet retreat. This Christmas season I want to talk about the spirituality of New Years Resolutions. I feel very strongly about this. I am surprised the Church doesn’t say more about New Years Resolutions. I believe there is something spiritual happening when people at the end of the year look at their lives and make decisions about where they can do better or acknowledging where they are being held back. In many cases they attempt to make changes. Sadly, they are seldom successful.

Many people do not realize that they may be self sabotaging their plans to achieve their goals.

Making changes in one’s life is not easy. We are creatures of habit. I would like to provide some direction for those who would like to have their Resolutions result in positive changes in their life.

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The Gospel today is quite different from our usual readings. It is a story from when Jesus was a twelve-year-old boy. This Gospel story is likely every parent’s nightmare; having one of their children lost. I can hardly imagine what Mary and Joseph were going through during those 3 days of searching for their son, Jesus. It seems that Jesus knew early in his life or might have had some insight into his true identity. The problem is that he did not share his plans with his parents when he decided to remain in Jerusalem at the temple. It makes sense that a 12-year-old child may not fully understand the implications and indeed the consequences of his actions on others. Still, as the Gospel suggests he had to grow into a better understanding of his mission. I wonder if he was ready to start his ministry at the age of twelve! That was not meant to be at this time. It would be another 18 years before Jesus would begin his public ministry. This maturing process was necessary for Jesus. This was not just a period of waiting; important maturing aspects were going on.

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In today’s podcast we have Mary visiting her cousin Elizabeth. There are several points in this Gospel I want to point out. We have Mary who is pregnant herself going to help her cousin Elizabeth . Mary’s sense of service is obvious.

We know that Elizabeth was likely past childbearing years. She was not able to have a child in a culture that expected women to have children, Many people looked down on women who were childless. Elizabeth is not the only one from the Bible who struggled with infertility.

Elizabeth is an excellent example of being meek. We don’t know much about Elizabeth, but I suspect she had her struggles. Being considered barren must have been hard for her. Elizabeth handled herself well and remained faithful to God despite the fact that it would appear God was not answering her prayers. She is truly an example of what meekness is all about. She is also strong; she can and does speak her truth confidently and succinctly when the time comes. Her faithfulness under pressure is admirable.

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In this podcast from Luke, we hear more about John the Baptist. John is giving advice to individuals who want to change their life to reflect their beliefs. These individuals realize that their faith is not just practiced on holy days but will also impact their behavior at work and at home.

There are a couple of key points that I want to draw your attention to. When asked what to do John doesn’t say, pray more or sin less or give more money to the Temple. Do you notice that all of his advice involves how to respectfully relate to other people?

John treats everyone the same. It doesn’t matter what their profession is. In most cultures including our own, professions are ranked from least to most prestigious. That means nothing to John. All work is honorable. The people are called to do an honest day’s work. Sometimes we are fortunate, and the job has meaning or purpose. Other times people work for the money. They work to live. They find purpose outside of work. But, even if you are working simply for the moony, there is still honor there.

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In today’s podcast we are introduced to John also known as John the Baptist not to be confused with the apostle John, the beloved disciple. John the Baptist was related to Jesus, his mother Elizabeth and Mary, the mother of Jesus were first cousins. Likely John and Jesus knew each other growing up. John is seen as the one prophesized by the great prophet Isaiah to prepare the people to receive the Messiah. Matthew 3:1-3, Mark 1:2-3 and Luke 3:4-6. The original prophecy is in Isaiah 40:3.
I wonder if Jesus would have been successful without John’s involvement. Is there is a lesson for us? We, like Jesus, have had people in our life that have helped us on our way. In a sense, our successes are not totally our own. Others have helped us along the way and by recognizing their role in our spiritual development we in turn are called to support other individuals on their journey.

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We are encouraged to stand firm Lk 21:19 and be careful (Lk 21:34). These are valuable lessons for life, not just for coping with the end times but also applicable in the present moment. I wonder if Jesus was talking about the end of the world or teaching us something about our spiritual lives.

I wonder if Jesus is telling us to be resilient and be determined. We are called to be intentional in our actions. To be intentional requires us to chose to be so. Much of our lives are on automatic pilot. We have our routines and habits. Much of our behavior is a response to and/or a result of other’s behavior. Many worry that if they do not respond in kind they will be seen as weak.

Our faith is lived out in how we relate to people and to God. Last week we read that the Greatest Commandment was to love God and the second to love our neighbor, both laws are relational.