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Breakfast with the Word 2nd January
John 1:19-28
Always Know Who You Are
There is always this natural inclination to be what we are not. Sometimes we are tempted to imitate people and live in the shoes of others while we forget our own. Every human being is created in his unique nature, different from others. Whenever we are tempted to forget who we are and begin to live in the shoes of others we often miss the road.
In life, it is good to know your strengths, weaknesses, gifts, talents, mission, abilities etc. This will make you remain unique in everything in you do.
In the gospel
In today’s gospel, the Jews sent some priests and the levites to John the Baptist to ask Him who He actually is. John the Baptist knowing fully well that people are already seeing Him as a mighty prophet, did not try to claim who He is not. He did not tell people that He is even the Elijah they are thinking of. John didn’t make himself greater than the Messiah. He told them sincerely that He is merely a messenger from God, who is to prepare the way for the Messiah.
John gives us the first assignment we are to do as we begin the year.
John tells us first of all to know our mission on earth, and hence understand our abilities and what we can do.
Now that many have come home to celebrate the Christmas and New Year, many would come home with exotic cars, some would be opening beautiful and mighty houses, dressing in gorgeous and classy wears. Sometimes you might become intimidated by the things you see. Do not allow anyone or what people would do at this time to put you in an unnecessary pressure. Know who you are. Let the things you see motivate you than put you in an unnecessary pressure.
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Humility is the Key
In today’s gospel, John exercises the highest level of humility. When they were asking Him who He is, instead of talking more about Himself, how powerful he is and possibly the massive number of people he has converted, John rather used that opportunity to point them to Jesus Christ. Instead of puffing or praising himself, he was telling people how powerful and mighty Jesus is.
Secondly, their question today would have made him unhappy. It is a sign that the leaders of the Jews have not really understand who He is despite all the efforts he has been making to bring them back to the way.
Instead of traveling from Jerusalem to come and listen to him like others do ( Mathew 3:1-17), their sole interest was to travel all the way from Jerusalem just to question Him. Despite this, John did not react in a negative way. He was so humble and attended to their requests.
In this life, humility plays a pivotal role to who we are and whatever we want to become. Let us always humble ourselves before God and before man.
It is the mentality that we have arrived that makes many relegate God and think by their position they are now greater than God. Like John, let us always be humble and know our limits. Let us always know we are just mere creatures that will surely leave the world one day. No one is going to live in the world forever and ever, no matter how much we try to protect and safeguard it.
We are not the creators of the universe. Coming into a place we do not know anything about and begin to live as if we are the Almighty is a misnomer.
In this new year, to live without God should not be mentioned among you. Humble yourself, we are nothing.
Finally, it is also the quest to live above our means that makes many to do anything within their means to make it in life even if it means going to any extreme. Today many have wandered into kidnapping, prostitution, scamming, occultism, bribery, many levels of corruption etc, just to make it in life. Some have gone spiritual even and have put their hands where they would not have even thought of. This is because they want to stand out. Many have betrayed those who have helped them because they want to use them to shine. All these are vanity upon vanity.
Let us be humble and know we are. When we know who we are and understand our abilities and mission on earth, everything will work smoothly for us. Hence there will be no need for unnecessary competitions. John the Baptist came and faced his mission. Let us always face what is infront of us than putting eye in the other person. The competition in life is between us and our abilities and not between us and any person. Humility can take you to places you would not have imagined.
May God bless you dearest and give us the grace to humble ourselves before Him. May He bless this New Year for us. Amen
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