“And in those days cometh John the Baptist preaching in the desert of Judea. And saying: ‘Do penance: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ For this is he that was spoken of by the Isaias the prophet, saying: ‘A voice of one crying in the desert, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.’ And the same John had his garment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins: and his meat was locusts and wild honey.”
In the desert of life, removed from pursuit of wealth, cares, pleasure, power, come the first rays of the sunrise Divine Love, the voice of John the Baptist. He preached in a place where only those who would desire to hear would go, his message resonating in such a way that people were drawn to him and lauded him as a prophet. There is a beauty of the message of the Gospel that needs no adornment or watering down to bear fruit. It is the message of true love, and love needs no bells and whistles, no spectacle, no box in a crowded place or loudspeaker to be heard. No, it is in the simple soul, removed from the influence of the world, that bears testimony of the Love that guides it. His message is simple: “Do penance, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” While the message to do penance sounds harsh, it is important to remember that St. John was not an aggressor, despite his rough appearance. He comes not with threats to the offenders, but with a tender hand extending mercy: His command is simply to turn from sin (Luke 3:10-14), and in turn a part in a kingdom (a predominant theme in Matthew’s Gospel) of love is offered. The kingdom has come! St. John the Baptist declared its approach, but the presence of love is descending to all, to you, to your every neighbor, that all hearts may be grasped by it and fall in love. This is the point of all penance, is to set aside what keeps you from giving your heart entirely to Jesus and then living according to His way of love: “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). John is the voice giving expression to the Word, and in this way you too are, in a sense, John the Baptist. You are the precursor of the Lord in the lives of all you meet. You may be the only Gospel others hear. You might be the only monstrance some people see. With this in mind, who is to say that your small acts of kindness don’t impact the hearts of those to whom they are done? What little word of love may not find its way into the depths of your neighbor, being the message that prepares them for the Lord’s action in their life? All we want is to be loved, and by giving this to everyone, you become the voice of the Word, the voice that speaks the Eternal I Love You. John the Baptist is the “Voice of one crying,” and the word “crying” is significant, for one only uses such an elevated tone to desperately try to get the attention of another, and so was the mission of John the Baptist. He spoke with passion to a people that was far from God, their ears deafened with sin and brokenness. It took a voice that was unique and emblazoned to reach a people so stagnant, and it takes a radical love to be able to shake the malaise, sadness, viciousness, etc. out of others, for all these things arise from a place where the heart had previously been broken or unloved. He is said to be crying in the desert both literally and that his message is to the deserted and forlorn, for God comes to love the unlovable, to show those who need to hear “I love you” the most perfect love they could possibly receive. So John the Baptist is sent ahead of the King to repair what is broken and cleanse what is foul from the souls of the people, that this same King may come smoothly into their hearts and give them the love they so desire, with no interference of what is toxic and harmful. Finally, John the Baptist’s way of life is so legendarily unique! His life testified that He needed nothing other than Christ, for when you have the perfect love of God, all else becomes a pure gift, something you needed not but now have the gift to receive. His diet of honey and locusts show that his preaching was sweet, yet short-lived, and is clad in the skin of unclean beasts, showing that God does not fear the foulest, coarsest, or strangest things you perceive in yourself. No, He loves the unique, as expressed both through John the Baptist and in the book of the Judges. You are the only you that will ever live; your soul is more unique than your face and of much greater beauty. Every quirk and aspect of yourself that makes you you is precious to Him, He simply longs to wipe the stain of sin from such a great beauty that it may shine in its full sublimity: “Shew me thy face, let thy voice sound in my ears: for thy voice is sweet, and thy face comely” (Song 2:14).