Friday, January 2, 2004
Week Before Epiphany

1st Reading: 1 Jn 2:22-28
Gospel: Jn 1:19-28

This was the testimony of John when the Jews sent priests and Levites to ask him, "Who are you?" John recognized the truth and did not deny it. He said, "I am not the Messiah."

And they asked him, "Then who are you? Elijah?" He answered, "I am not." They said, "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No." Then they said to him, "Tell us who you are, so that we can give some answer to those who sent us. How do you see yourself?" And John said, quoting the prophet Isaiah, "I am the voice crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord."
Those who had been sent were Pharisees; so they put a further question to John: "Then why are you baptizing if you are not the Messiah, or Elijah, or the Prophet?" John answered, "I baptize you with water, but among you stands one whom you do not know; although he comes after me, I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandal."

This happened in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Commentary

"WHO are you?" "How do you see yourself?" These are questions we ask one another to this day. But today we ask these questions especially of ourselves; today we tend to turn the searchlight inwards. "Who am I?" "How do I see myself?" In our complex world these are not trivial questions. There are many who are willing to offer us ready-made identities. Some of these identities are intensely tight-fitting: our world is full of cults and fanatical movements, secular and religious. Many look at you and don't want to know who you are; they see only the identity they would like to impose on you. We had better know where to find our real identities.

"Among you stands one whom you do not know." We do not know him because we cannot get away with imposing an identity on him-though we try all the time. Jesus the Catholic, Jesus the Protestant, Jesus the Baptist. Yes, John, we too are unworthy to untie the strap of his sandals.

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