Isaiah 49:1-6 / Acts 13:22-26 / Luke 1:57-66, 80
We might be wondering why the birth of St. John the Baptist is such a big feast-day, in fact a solemnity.
Maybe we can get an idea from the meaning of his name.
John, or in Hebrew "Yehohanan", means "the Lord is gracious" or "the Lord shows favour".
Indeed, in St. John the Baptist, God had shown His favour, not just to Zachariah and Elizabeth by blessing them with a child.
He has shown favour to the whole of humanity.
Because before St. John the Baptist came into the scene, the prophetic voice in Israel has been silent for 400 years.
When St. John the Baptist came into the scene, he breathed fire and preached thunder.
All that was to prepare the way for Jesus the Christ, the Anointed One of God.
So St. John the Baptist prepared the people to receive the graciousness from God.
He prepared the people to receive Jesus who is filled with grace and truth.
What St. John the Baptist did for the people of his time, we too are to do for the people of our time.
We too are to prepare our people to receive the graciousness and the favour of God.
The name John means "God is gracious" and "God shows favour".
We have an even more important name.
We are called Christians. It means the "anointed ones". It means that we are to be another Christ to the world.
May we be filled with God's grace and favour to fulfill our mission.