Image of John the Baptist outside a mission church in San Juan Bautista, CA: photo by musicmuse_ca
Here's another photo of the same statue.
There's still time to take a look at the scriptures for this weekend's worship! For the texts and background material and tips for helping children prepare to hear the Word, check this post from earlier in the week.
I wonder... who are the Isaiah and John the Baptist figures in our own times? Are we open to hearing a prophet's voice? a prophet's word? a prophet's call? Isaiah and John were hated by some and scorned, yet they preached a word of truth... Would we listen to them? Do we listen to them?
-ConcordPastor
hi father!
ReplyDeletemy small group loved the boyz ii men song of Emmanuel...it was quite different for all,we usually rock out a little, very mediatitive! God bless you!
thank you for posting the holiday mail for the soldiers too,we're gonna send advent prayer!
all for the glory of god! AMEN!
Sounds like a good group, ddfitz!
ReplyDeleteHappy Advent to you all...
I hope that Barak Obama will be a John the Baptist/Isaiah for our time. I find him to be very inspiring. I would like to think that God has put this particular man in place to lead us through these difficult times. I listened to his radio address this morning and couldn't help but think of FDR and the confidence he instilled in our nation during its darkest days. I think Barak has that same ability to inspire confidence.
ReplyDeleteI hope and pray the best for the president-elect and for our nation under his leadership.
ReplyDeleteStill, I doubt that comparing Obama with Isaiah and John the Baptist is a fruitful enterprise. I hope it's not the kind of comparison Mr. Obama invites: it does an injustice to and/or reveals a lack of knowledge of these two great biblical prophets.
Recall that Isaiah denounced Israel for entering into a "covenant with death" and John the Baptist was beheaded for his fidelity to the Lord's Word.
We've not yet been presented with a president or presidential candidate who measures up to these two giants.
Prophets of today are probably not the giants that Isaiah or John were, although we could certainly use these guys calling out at us. I would think that prophets walking among us today are a lot more humble. They are calling out to us by their witness as they "wash the feet' of others. Prophets are those who serve without worrying what other people may think of them. They move us to think about how we too should serve. I suppose you could say that they help us to be receptive of the Holy spirit and an "inner voice" pushing us in the right direction. We all have the ability to be prophets to one another. We should pray for that. The answer most likely, is found in the Eucharist, "our source and summit".
ReplyDeleteAnne