There is a special providence, given the current political turmoil, that the Church this day asks us to reflect on the birth of a child. Instead of thinking in terms of national policy, this feast, the nativity of St. John the Baptist, provides the occasion to examine how important a child is from God’s point of view. The fact that this feast is called a “nativity” connects it with that other nativity in the church’s year – that of Jesus which we celebrate at Christmas. The fact that it is the nativity, the birth, not of the Son of God, but of the son of Zachariah and Elizabeth reminds us that as church we find meaning in the birth of every child, that every child is heaven-sent. We’re told by St. Luke that when Elizabeth gave birth to a son “her neighbors and relatives rejoiced with her.” Then as now the birth of a child is cause for rejoicing. Even babies who have problems are received as precious gifts. I saw that very dramatically in my own family when my niece who was born with Down’s Syndrome was lovingly welcomed into my brother’s arms. So it is right that we take this opportunity to reflect on the Sacred Scriptures and see the message of the Bible as we contemplate how children illustrate the plan of God.
The Old Testament reading from the prophet Isaiah tells us: the Lord called me from birth. Our first lesson would be that every child, every individual, every person who is born has a value and a worth which comes from God just because they are born. God doesn’t wait to see how the child turns out but from the first moment of existence calls every single individual precious. And we reflect that divine activity in the way we treat children. When we look at a baby we don’t say, I’ll love you if you grow up to become a doctor; I’ll care for you if when you grow up your clothes and car are only the latest and hottest things; I’ll cherish you if as an adult your income is in the six figures. No, a child is loved and cared for not because of who they might be one day but because of who they are already today. But that raises a question: Why do we treat any of the children of God no matter what their age any differently? If God gives us eternal value just as we are shouldn’t we deal with one another in the same way? People aren’t special because of what they have achieved or how much stuff they have. No, every one of us is made in the divine image and thus worthy of eternity.
Isaiah goes on: from my mother’s womb the Lord gave me my name. We see the significance of getting the proper name in the gospel where there is a tussle over whether to name Elizabeth’s son Zechariah or John. This business of naming correctly is still with us today. Maybe we don’t name a child after relatives anymore but no matter how the name is given God calls us by that name. God doesn’t say, “Y’all come now, y’hear.” No, God says, JayJay, you come follow me. Victoria, you come follow me. This isn’t an open casting call for a part on American Idol. This is a by invitation only, Dancing with the Star, the star of Bethlehem which we are capable of doing because the grace of God has been poured into our hearts. God calls us uniquely, by name, because there are things that only you can do for God.
Those neighbors and relatives of Elizabeth and Zechariah said something that perhaps all of us have thought on seeing a child come into the world: “What then will this child be?” The birth of child is celebrated because we see in this new little person infinite possibility. She might be president of the United States one day. He might become pope. She could find the cure for cancer. He may well win the Nobel Peace Prize. And even a little less loftily – this child brings life and hope and joy into our family. This child ensures us a future. What happens all too often is that as we grow older we lose that sense of what is possible. We begin to feel stuck, that we can’t change our situation. But even as we grow older we’re still the children of God and God is not finished with us yet. Change, conversion, new life is always possible for every child of God for it is not dependent on us but on the presence and action of grace in our hearts. So whenever you catch yourself saying, “That’s just the way I am” remember that God didn’t stop creating after the seventh day. God continues to do something new in each one of us every day of our lives if we but trust that the divine power is at work.
What people recognized at the birth of John the Baptist was that “the hand of the Lord was with him.” That is true for every child – and every child of God of whatever age. The hand of God with us is what makes us the children of God. That is why we, like John the Baptist, are supposed to become a light to the nations. The hand of the Lord is with us so we have hope in a world where hope is in short supply. The hand of the Lord is with us so we have faith that generosity and forgiveness will fill us with happiness more quickly that force and power. The hand of the Lord is with us so we trust that love is stronger than death. By ourselves the troubles of home, church, neighborhood, world seem insurmountable. But since the hand of the Lord is with us we can bring light into a world of darkness.
Finally, what characterizes a child is that they grow. That was John the Baptist’s story and it is ours. St. Luke says, “The child grew and became strong in spirit.” We grow and become strong in spirit if we are nourished and fed with those things which promote a healthy spiritual life. We grow in the spirit by spending time in prayer, by reading and studying the Word of God, by attending to the sacraments which strengthen us for the journey, by using our time and talent for building up the kingdom of God, by serving those who are in need. Like John the Baptist we might be “in the desert,” where we don’t always see the fullness of what God is doing. But if we live each day with courage and integrity we will find God is our strength. We will grow to full stature and have the promise of a life full of joy that every child of God possesses.
