The Feast of St Basil and St Gregory Nazianzen | Tuesday 2 January 2024

Today is Tuesday the 2nd of January, the feast of St Basil and St Gregory Nazianzen, in the season of Christmas.

The community of Taizé sing, Jésus le Christ: ‘Jesus Christ, inner light, do not let my darkness speak to me. Jesus Christ, inner light, let me welcome your love.’

Jésus le Christ, lumière intérieure, ne laisse pas mes ténèbres me parler.
Jésus le Christ, lumière intérieure, donne-moi d'accueillir ton amour.

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of John.

John 1:19-28

This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, ‘I am not the Messiah.’* And they asked him, ‘What then? Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you the prophet?’ He answered, ‘No.’ Then they said to him, ‘Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?’ He said,

‘I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,
“Make straight the way of the Lord” ’,
as the prophet Isaiah said.

Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, ‘Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah,* nor Elijah, nor the prophet?’ John answered them, ‘I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.’ This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.

John the Baptist, the man who prepared the way for the Son of God. How do you imagine him? His looks, his character, his way of life, how he related to others?

“Who are you?” Picture the looks of confusion on the faces of those who interrogate this highly unusual man on his whereabouts. John makes sure to say who he is not! And he’s very confident about who he is.

He knows exactly who he is - and quotes his role as it was specifically described hundreds of years before by the prophet Isaiah: he is “the voice of one crying out in the wilderness - Make straight the way of the Lord”. What a vocation! What has made him so sure of the role he has to play?

As you listen to the passage again, hear the confidence in John the Baptist’s voice. (Is that a confidence that you would like?) How might you confidently respond to the question “who are you?”

As this time of reflection comes to an end, try and describe to the Lord who you are, or who you think you are. Let the Lord respond. Give thanks for all those who prepare the way of the Lord in public today.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.