FEARLESSLY BEING PROPHETIC ABOUT JESUS THE CHRIST..............

John the Baptist who testified to Jesus in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Visitation she made to her also pregnant cousin Elizabeth, was himself a special child from the moment of his conception.  To be born in six months following the Visitation as the only son of a very elderly and barren couple, when John leapt in his mother's womb when Mary and Elizabeth greeted  each other, he was acknowledging the special, prophetic, mission of his cousin.  John as a  contemporary of Jesus grew in wisdom and holiness and when the appointed time came thirty years later, he was chosen by God the Father and imbued by the Holy Spirit with the privilege to become the last of the Prophets raised up to proclaim the Coming of the Messiah of God's Chosen People.  John heralded the imminent arrival of the Christ by boldly preaching Repentance and Baptizing sinners with water.  When Jesus presented Himself for baptism by John, he reluctantly consented because he believed Jesus to be the long awaited Messiah, and acclaimed Him to  be the perfect Lamb of God and forgiver of sins.  John the Baptist was God's Prophet in proclaiming the Christ. He did so without fear of the martyrdom he would suffer as a result.  We too, as Followers of Jesus The Christ as our Messiah and the Redeemer of Humankind are meant to be prophetic voices in furthering the Mission of  reconciling sinners and building up the coming of God's Kingdom.  How are you and I being prophets of the Lord Jesus in the present moment.  Pray and ponder that you will hear and answer the invitation to become an unconditional prophetic voice for Jesus as we follow Him daily..............fr.tdp