What, then, will this child be?

24 JUNE (LK 1,57-66.80)

John the Baptist is entirely the work of God. For his omnipotence he came into the world from a sterile and advanced in years mother. For his will he was filled with the Holy Spirit while he was still in the womb of the Mother. From that day the Holy Spirit enveloped him of himself and prepared him for the mission. Paving the way for the Lord that comes, that is already in the midst of men, is the ministry that it is necessary that it is done with firmness, determination, fortitude, wisdom and intelligence. These are all the qualities of a heart that only the Spirit can create in a man. If the Spirit does not create, the man, whoever he is, remains impure clay and for him no saving mission might ever be accomplished. John was made pure clay by the Holy Spirit, the Father can work and do with it an instrument according to his will.

People hear when God comes down in history to give a new direction. They perceive that in this baby there is something extraordinarily great. This is attested by the world, the mode he was born. He comes to the world from a barren woman and in addition advanced in years. For his little or poor faith in the angel, Zechariah remains mute for nine months. Every word spoken by the messenger of the Lord is fulfilled, he writes the name John on the tablet and his tongue dissolves into a song of blessing to the Lord, the God of Israel, because the Messiah is already in the midst of his people. This kid is the purest grace of their God. What great thing will the Lord want to accomplish through him? What will it be of him tomorrow, if today all signs attest to his extraordinary greatness and unique divine benevolence?

As if this were not enough, the Lord takes this child and leads him into the desert. He does not want him to be contaminated by the thoughts of men. He will have to get used to just listen to his voice, because tomorrow he will have to report only his Word. No word of man must be on his lips. He must be his purest voice. Hi might not be of his God, if he does not listen to his Word. He listens to the Word in these long years of silence and to the Word he will lend only his breath, nothing else. His breath will be like the wings to an eagle. The Word with him might fly to rest on every heart, as long as your heart desires and welcomes it as it really is: the Word of God. It is exceedingly great the mystery that John has inscribed in his heart. He is called to be all of his Lord: body, spirit and soul.

When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, “No. He will be called John.” But they answered her, “There is no one among your relatives who has this name.” So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,” and all were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God. Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, “What, then, will this child be?” For surely the hand of the Lord was with him. The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel.

John is for us of great instruction. He teaches the whole world that you can never be an instrument of the Lord, a puff and breath, wings of his Word, if we let ourselves be ruled by the flesh. This can only happen if we let ourselves be grasped by the Spirit, go with him into his desert in order to learn how to listen to His Word. The desert must be our real home. On the contrary, if we are in the house of the world, we will listen to the words of the world and these we will refer. We will think like the world and will talk like it. The Spirit takes John and prepares his heart and mouth. The heart so that it is able to contain all the Word. The mouth so that it can utter it entirely.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints make us voice and breath of the Word.