John the Baptist testifies clearly that Jesus is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, the Son of God. (Jn 1:29,34). He did not know him in this capacity, even though he was his cousin, but understood through the Holy Spirit that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah. Often times we let externals stand in the way of our acceptance of people, or our recognition of their gifts A now classic example is that of Susan Boyle whose appearance on the British talent show, Britain's Got Talent, almost caused ripples of laughter as she appeared as an ordinary woman in a house dress and accompanying hairdo, but caused mouths to drop as she flawlessly rendered the beautiful song, I Dreamed a Dream. Pope Francis has a knack for reaching out to the most neglected or lowliest, and making them feel welcomed and loved. His reach knows no bounds, and attracts people by his warm, genuine love for them. It remains to be seen what this Week of Christian Unity will find him doing, or how he will use the week to point out to the Lamb of God for Christians to recognize, but not only believers, but non-Christians and non-believers as well.
Tomorrow we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and will remember his efforts to include all in basic civil rights. On Wednesday, thousands will gather for the March for Life in Washington (the Archdiocese of Boston sending a record number of 750) to make a statement for the rights of the unborn, to help others recognize them as people too. The spirit of John the Baptist lives today as we too point to the Lamb of God.
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