Peace be with you and your ohana on this Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist!

John leapt in his mother Elizabeth’s womb at the presence of the Lord in the womb of Mary. It is said that a fetus in the womb of its mother can sense things outside of the mother’s womb. In this case, it was the presence of the Savior of humankind, the Son of God, that John sensed and leapt with joy which must have startled Mary’s cousin, Elizabeth.

It was also John who was to baptize Jesus in the Jordan River and be present at the manifestation of the Trinity, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit on the day of Jesus’ baptism.

Today, we honor that man, John, who was the prophet who bridged the Old and New Testaments and who eventually sacrificed his life as a martyr at the hands of King Herod.

May the holiness of John grace you this day and may Almighty God bless you, + In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Scripture:

“My reward is with the Lord, my recompense is with my God. I am made glorious in the sight of the Lord, and my God is now my strength!” (Isaiah 49)

“I praise you, for I am wonderfully made. I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made; wonderful are your works.” (Psalm 139)

“To us this word of salvation has been sent.” (Acts of the Apostles 13)

“You, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way.” (Luke 1)

A Personal Reflection by Fr. Brian:

Before I entered the Sacred Hearts order, I worked in the field of air pollution. One time, back in 1980, I attended a Conference in Montreal, Canada. It happened to be the night of June 24, 1980, to be exact. In the late afternoon and early evening, after the conference had ended for the day, I was in my hotel room when I heard loud explosions going on outside my hotel window. I looked out to see fireworks going off all around the hotel. I wondered what was going on! So, when I went down for dinner, I asked the waitress about it. She said, “Oh! You must not be from Canada! It’s the Feast of the Birth of Sainte Jean Baptiste! A national holiday in Canada. Like the 4th of July in America.”

“Wow!” I thought. I didn’t know that!

And, one time I was on a tour in Mexico City, when our guide had the tour bus stop in front of a church. He said, “This church is called San Juan Bautista. Every year, there is a big celebration on the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist at this church with Mass and a big fiesta! In Mexico, we celebrate the Birth of St. John the Baptist with much celebration.”

It seems that in many countries, today is celebrated in a big way. Like in Canada and Mexico, our neighbors.

So, let us revel in it! Let us give thanks and celebrate the great prophet, John, who foretold of the coming of the Lord into the world with his leap of joy in Elizabeth’s womb! Amen!

Blessings, pono and pule!

Fr. Brian Guerrini, ss.cc.
Priest
Molokai