Gospel for January 10 2021 – Mark 1:7-11
Gospel Reflections for January 10 2021
Peaceful transition of power?
This is a time when new mayors, council members, state and federal representatives, senators, and even a president eventually take office.
Many political races were hard fought and even fiercely contested in the courts. No one likes to give up their office easily, yet despite passionate campaigns and court battles, the actual transfer of power is normally peaceful.
Since our founding in 1776 our political transitions have been the envy of the world. Simply put, the candidate with the most votes wins. Despite long, controversial, and often bitterly fought campaigns, it all ends with a few simple words of an oath of office, and the transition of power is then complete. We can be grateful we have such a system in our country.
However, now there is strong disagreement about our election system itself, and how votes were cast and counted. Which candidate had the most votes has become an immensely complicated puzzle for any of us to understand, especially when it is hard to find reliable information. No wonder transitions are not smooth!
A peaceful but opposite transition happens in today’s Gospel. John the Baptist is at the height of his career as a popular preacher and prophet. There is no question about that. Thousands of people travel miles into barren desert just to see and hear him. He has massively won the people’s vote. Yet he peacefully turns everything over to Jesus!
He does not compete with Our Lord for the crowd’s attention, and gladly accepts the will of a different kind of “election.” The vote of just one person made that happen …the vote of God.
There is another big difference. Presidents come and go. If you don’t like one president, wait four or maybe eight years and that person must leave. Not so with Our Lord. He remains with you as your Savior always.
However, there is another campaign that Our Lord faces every day. He must campaign for your heart and soul. Will you smoothly transition the direction of your life over to Him? Will you let Him guide your decisions? Will you let Him be your leader?
John the Baptist turned over his entire life forever to Our Lord …and at the very peak of his own career …a remarkable example of his humility …and in recognizing the true leader of all of us!
God Bless!
Fr. Dave
Father Dave is right again. If more people will do as St. John did and turn control over to Jesus completely, we’d have the Peace all really need and want.
Yes, John the Baptist shows the way!
Father Dave, Our Loving God, our precious Jesus, our beautiful Blessed Mother have our love and hearts forever!!! We are sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo embraced in their LOVE!!!! Lovceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee their loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee and loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee you and all our beautiful priests for giving us the gift of their LOVE!!! Have a beautiful day in their precious, beautiful, miracle loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!
Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, Franca and Dick
Thank you!
Thank you Fr. Dave for a great reflection once again!
This election has been like none other and we are left wondering
what the truth could be. There is one thing we know for sure that violence
will never solve the problem.
When we look within we will see that Jesus is the answer, and that what’s
in the heart is what matters.
You can count on that message here every week for sure.