Today we celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist
As we gather this weekend for the Installation and celebrating 25 years of Priesthood, we celebrate God’s faithfulness and His ability to Anoint, Appoint for God’s Purpose.
This Solemnity of the Birth of John the Baptist is most appropriate for our reflection of this celebration of priesthood and pastoral leadership . John’s mother is a descendent of the first priest Aron, her husband Zachariah is a priest and in the temple offering incense when the Angel comes to inform him of the miraculous conception of John, Elizabeth who was believed to be barren, God looks upon her and fills her with his blessings to produce a prophet for the new and eternal priesthood.
God has a plan for each of our lives, it even reaches far beyond what we would expect. You see, it would be expected that since John was of the priestly line, that he would be a priest of the temple. However, God had a new anointing and new appointment for John. John prepares the way for the Messiah, he is a radical prophetic voice that is announced to Israel. As the new Elijah he is the one who prepares the way for the new age, for the new purpose God has for His People.
God knows our fears, God shares our pain, He wipes away our tears and He’s shelter from our Rain, God was there for us, God was always true, we knew that he would be with us all the way. This day is about God’s faithfulness to His people and Faithful to His Promise. Just as John the Baptist was a crucial part of God’s plan, so God desires that each of us know that He has a plan for us and desires to operate in our lives to radically change our world.
You see although we might be discouraged by children locked in cages, immigrants regarded as animals, human lives considered as not really mattering, and we seem to be without hope, Jesus is still seated on the throne, and God is calling for the prophetic and radical leaders to stand for justice, to proclaim peace and dignity for all human persons. Let us not be distracted by what we see and hear, but rather let us seek to claim the anointing that has been placed on us. Having been anointed and appointed for God’s purpose, this Feast of the Birth Of John and the installation of a pastor proclaims God’s faithfulness and that he has not forgotten His people, there is hope whenever people of faith step forward trusting in God’s grace to lead His people and proclaim is message of Justice, Love and Peace.
“Hear me, O coastlands,
listen, O distant peoples.
The LORD called me from birth,
from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.
He made of me a sharp-edged sword
and concealed me in the shadow of his arm.
He made me a polished arrow,
in his quiver he hid me.
You are my servant, he said to me,
Israel, through whom I show my glory.”
Our lives can show God’s glory if we simply allow God to use us through his anointing and His Glory will shine forth. Blessings upon this parish community, God calls us to work in His vineyard, for a time and a season. May this truly be your season for God’s anointing and we know that God is ever faithful. We are called to be persistent, God will then be faithful, let us remain in God’s blessings and He will bring the work He has begun in us to Fulfillment.
We welcome in our midst the Apostle our Bishop Gregory Parkes. May his apostolic ministry leading the church in Central Florida pour forth God’s anointing on all those whose faith is open to God’s anointing.