Joke: After a church service on Sunday morning, a young boy suddenly announced to his mother, “Mom, I’ve decided to become a priest when I grow up.” “That’s ok with us,” she replied, “but what made you decide that?” “Well,” said the little boy, “I have to go to Church on Sunday anyway, and I figure it will be more fun to stand up and yell than to sit down and listen.”

John the Baptist, reported in today’s Gospel, is a voice, not yelling but helping people to recognize that God is present in their midst. As John experienced the presence of God in the desert of his heart, soul, and mind, he went out to testify for God who is the light. John is the voice calling for repentance reported in today’s Gospel saying, “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘make straight the way of the Lord,’” John quotes this from the prophet Isaiah, but what he adds to it that he identifies himself as the voice calling for repentance. Interesting that he doesn’t identify himself as the light, but he comes to testify for the light. What is the light and why does he come to testify for that light?

In today’s Gospel, after a series of questions people ask John to see who he is, John says that he is not Elijah, nor prophet, but “the voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘make straight the way of the Lord.’ 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.” John points out that the Lord is among them, but why don’t they recognize him?

In the book, One Minute Wisdom by Anthony de Mello, S.J., shared a short conversation between a student and the master with the title “Unconsciousness”. Student asks, “Where can I find God?” “He is right in front of you.” “Then why do I fail to see him?” The master responds by asking him, “Why does the drunkard fail to see his home?” Later, the master said, “Find out what it is that makes you drunk. To see you must be sober.” To recognize the Lord, perhaps, we need to be sober from all the attractions that this world offers us. How do we stay sober from all the attractions of this world?

To answer this question, we are invited to the anointed one that Isaiah mentioned in today’s first reading that when he comes, he “bring[s] glad tidings to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners, to announce a year of favor from the LORD and a day of vindication by our God.” Who is this anointed one if he is not Jesus himself? His ministries here on earth are to heal the sick, the blind, and the lepers, and to forgive the sins of a prostitute and the tax collectors and many other good deeds that he has done to bring exactly, what Isaiah says in today’s Gospel, “glad tidings to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners, to announce a year of favor from the LORD and a day of vindication by our God.” With all these good deeds, how come they’re still not able to recognize him as the Savior? Honest ourselves, how many of us remember to give thanks to God for the gift of life in which none of us can bring ourselves into existence by ourselves? How many of us remember to give thanks to God by doing some good deeds to others when we experience the breath that we take in right now? What do we see right now? Of all of the five senses that we experience in this present age, how many of us believe that God’s mysterious hands are on us to protect and take care of us?

A bishop, I don’t remember his name, once shared his experience when he was a little boy, and he often remembered and thanked the Lord throughout his adult life. After WWII, one day, he ran home got into the kitchen, and asked his mom to borrow the biggest knife they had. After she handed him the knife, the boy ran off from her sight. After he left, the mother suddenly asked herself, why he needed the big knife, and she ran after him to see what he was doing with the knife. All the kids were surrounded by a big dynamite. When he was about to slam that big knife on the dynamite, his mom stopped him from behind. Bishop often reflects on that experience and believes that God’s hands are upon him and others because there is no way to explain that.

God is always present in our midst, but how can we experience his presence in our life? One way to experience God’s presence in our lives that Saint Paul encourages us, is described in today’s second reading saying, “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” Just as we have difficulty being in a good mood when we are tired, or we have difficulty thinking when we are angry and frustrated, we might have difficulty experiencing God’s presence when we cannot rejoice, cannot pray, and cannot even give thanks to God in all circumstances of our lives. This is a Gaudete Sunday, Rejoice Sunday. We are invited to rejoice, to pray, and to give thanks to God without ceasing in waiting for the second coming of our Lord. The decision is yours.