They asked him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet?"
John answered them, "I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,
the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie."
After celebrating the motherhood of Mary, it was followed by the good news where John the Baptist was sent out to be in a mission to be the last prophet. These two days celebrated two different people, just like you and me, because they carried out their mission as God wanted them to.
Was Mary really ready to follow God? When I was 14, I was busy trying to grow up and fitting in. When Mary was at my age, Jesus was probably already a carpenter, all strong and full of dreams. She was around 47 when she witnessed her only son die on the cross and she couldn't do anything to save him. If I have a child right now, I probably wouldn't let my son go.
Was John the Baptist really understanding his mission? He was the same baby who jumped with joy in his mother, Elizabeth's womb upon seeing the pregnant Mary visit her. He was already able to recognize the presence of God as early as that time. He started baptizing people with water and spreading God's word amidst contentions. He was later on beheaded and placed on a silver plate. He was just around my age when he died.
These two people might have been famous because they were in the bible but more so, they made God the center of their lives and are courageous to follow His holy will. It wasn't a calling for them to lie on a bed of roses. In fact, they are called to be persecuted and live a sorrowful life as they proclaim the Gospel.
I hope I get to hear God reveal His plan for me. No matter how difficult it may seem to be, I hope to get the courage to face it and say, "Thy will be done." I hope to deserve His love for me as I carry my own cross daily.
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