20260829 Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist

[그리움하나]

(Jer 1:17–19; Mk 6:17–29): May the Journey of Our Life, Looking Toward Eternity, Become a Prophecy

My dear brothers and sisters, today, through the righteous martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist—the last prophet of the Old Testament who prepared the way of the Lord—we are invited to reflect upon the glory of God and the prophetic calling, journey, and destiny He has opened for us.

The term "prophecy" received from God refers not merely to foretelling the future, but rather to the Word that God Himself has entrusted to us. Thus, it is not simply a prediction of a distant tomorrow, but a living Word encompassing our past, present, and future, filled with the meaning the Lord wishes to convey to us.

This Word is not given lightly. For a person to be entrusted with this Word, they must add to their life a spirit of constant fidelity and humble listening, tuning their hearts to God while possessing the courage of faith to entrust everything to the Lord. And the one who accepts this Word is invited onto the path of destiny that the Lord Himself prepares.

To accept and proclaim the Word entrusted by God is never just about pleasing human ears or bringing a gentle breeze of comfort to the listener’s heart. Rather, the true meaning of the "Good News" is to illuminate God's will through the Holy Spirit's discernment—which acts like a two-edged sword—and to carry over the burning, passionate flame of God's love.

God's call purifies and transforms us anew. Therefore, this Word does not stop at comfortable consolation; it becomes a dynamic force that awakens our souls. Because it rouses souls that were once settled in human perspectives, it sometimes gives rise to jealousy and opposition. And the one who proclaims it must endure severe wounds and the pain of alienation.

A community that looks to God and directs itself toward Him can also find itself standing on such a boundary between the Lord's Word and reality. We might accept the world’s authoritarian order and achievement-oriented mindset as a given—instead of discerning and reflecting through prayer—living without even realizing our own error of rationalization. We must not fall into the folly of taking away the place where the Lord should stand, subtly making excuses like, "The Church is a human society too! It’s not above the world! That’s just how human life is!"

Through the Prophet Jeremiah, God speaks to us in Chapter 1, verses 17 through 19:

"But do you gird your loins; stand up and tell them all that I command you. ... They will fight against you

but not prevail over you, for I am with you to deliver you—oracle of the LORD."

When we feel our position is weak and we have no control over our future, it is true that we feel intimidated before the powerful who hold our destiny. We feel the temptation of our age to abandon our prophetic role, dominated by the despair that our frail strength cannot change the world—as if throwing an egg against a rock.

Yet today, John the Baptist shows us the courage to challenge the ways of the world. That courage is surely a grace possessed only by those who look solely to the will of the Lord. The foundation of his hope was a faith assuring him that even human death cannot block God's salvation history, because he looked toward eternity, believing that "death is not the end." Just as he believed, the righteous spirit of John the Baptist and his passionate prophetic soul remain alive among us today.

My dear brothers and sisters, even when we cannot shake off the feeling of being vulnerable in our respective places in life, let us pray for the strength and courage to carry out our life’s journey boldly—guided by steadfast integrity and the light of conscience and truth planted within us by God—to bear witness to the Lord. Even amid a reality that is far from easy, may we meditate on the Lord’s will once more and live out our prophetic mission to bring that will into our daily lives. Amen.