The Old Testament lesson for the Birth of John the Baptist is from Isaiah: I thought I had toiled in vain,
and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength. At the time of the Baptist’s death he could not see the fruits of his labors, God had not intervened. Yet in the tradition of the Church the Baptist is considered a pivotal figure who midwifed the Kingdom of God. What the Baptist had to learn, what we all have to learn is that our reward is with the LORD. We often cannot tell what good all of our efforts at kindness, compassion, forgiveness and generosity produce. That is in God’s hands. Our role is to live a gospel life and leave all outcomes with God.
