"Behold, there is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world," John the Baptist testified to the crowd as Jesus came to be baptized by John in the Jordan River.

Oftentimes, preachers interpret this and the Baptist’s other statements as demonstrating John’s humility, that is, as he preached and baptized people for the forgiveness of sins, John never directed attention to himself. Instead, he preached about the how near God’s kingdom was and the Messiah’s coming. "Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight your paths," the Baptist preached. "The one who comes after me, I am not fit to untie the strap of his sandal," he said. All of which indicates that John the Baptist was a humble servant of God, one who made no claim to personal greatness because of his mission to announce God’s kingdom and the Messiah’s coming.

It is so easy, though, to dupe ourselves into thinking that we are indispensable, that no one other than us could possibly do whatever it is we do or better than us. Then, puffed up with pride and arrogance, we decide to demean, belittle or, even, attempt to drive away others whose gifts and talents surpass ours. That’s the kind of pride and arrogance that convinced Cain he had to kill his brother, Abel. And, it’s the kind of pride and arrogance that can convince also us to make enemies of others---even members of our own families---because they outshine us.

To be thankful for others and their gifts, to encourage and to promote these people, and to look upon them with affection is a much harder endeavor. It requires humility.

I have no doubt that John the Baptist was a humble man whose love of God made it possible to be of service to furthering God’s kingdom and the Messiah’s coming rather than to be proud and seek to rule God’s kingdom by proclaiming himself to be the Messiah which many people thought the Baptist was.

At the same time, however, I don’t believe the crucial message conveyed in today’s gospel is so much about the virtue of humility---and it is a very important Christian virtue---as the message is about the importance of testifying to what faith requires.

Think about today’s gospel from the perspective that John the Baptist has taken a clear look at the world, has seen sin in terms of how people are leading their lives, and is not afraid to call people to repentance. "Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight your paths," John the Baptist testifies to what faith requires.

Think, too, about today’s gospel from the perspective that John the Baptist sees people mired in various quandaries and casting about for superficial answers to explain their dissatisfaction and unhappiness. "Behold, there is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world," is what John the Baptist testifies to what faith requires.

Even though it is a generalization---and there always is a grain of truth in every generalization---Catholics are uncomfortable when it comes to testifying to what their faith requires. Many believe that faith is a "private" not a "public" matter. And, these Catholics fear that, if they were to testify in public to what faith requires, there would be negative repercussions and, in hindsight, it would have been better to have kept one’s mouth shut…especially when it comes to testifying to what faith requires.

Although it’s understandable why so many Catholics privatize their faith and are reticent to testify to it in public places, such silence is not at all helpful in terms of fulfilling our baptismal commitment to testify to others. Such reticence---whether in the home, neighborhood, parish, or workplace---is to turn our back on our mission to point people to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. John the Baptist was not reticent to testify to what faith demands. Why should we be reticent?

Thankfully, there are people who testify in public to what their faith requires, despite the personal toll it might exact.

Just last week, for example, I sent an email to one of our fellow parishioners who is a businessman. The subject line read: "JP II has it right again…." Included in my email was the homily Pope John Paul II gave last Sunday, the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, in which the Pope quoted the Second Vatican Council’s challenge for Catholics to be a leaven within society. The Pope’s message was to look at our lives and work as a missionary endeavor to bring about the transformation of all things in Christ.

Yesterday morning, I was delighted to receive this return email:

Hello Father:

Thanks for thinking of me.

Interesting: Months ago, I had discretely passed an article around the office and factory, entitled "God in the Workplace." My workplace includes the owner, a Russian Jew, 10 factory workers from the Ukraine who are now American citizens, and approximately 10 other employees of various faiths.

I received many interesting reactions. One African American came forward and told me he was a minister preaching the Bible to young and troubled African Americans. "Rev," as I call him, was actually teased about the article because the other employees thought he had brought the article in and passed it out. No one---and I mean no one---read the article. In fact, the owner said, "Don’t bring that f------ (followed by six dashes) God stuff in here." The Ukrainians just laughed it off. And most of the other employees threw the article away.

Here’s the good stuff.

I had our foreman tell everyone that I sent the article. Since that announcement, the owner has joined a synagogue and attends regularly. The Ukrainians now converse with me about the similarities between their Orthodox religious practices and mine and I have come to learn that they are very spiritual. Most of the other employees just complimented me on bringing their faith or lack of faith to the forefront of their minds.

The bottom line is: I have many questions about my faith and the Bible, but I believe. For some reason, I now try to bring my faith up in almost every conversation. I am also amazed to find how many Catholics have fallen away from the Church. Sometimes I try to explain as best I can just why we practice our faith. That’s why we call it practice! My ignorant response is always that the Church is us and in us, not the bricks and mortar. The Church is the community and people are never far away from the Lord because He is always with us. I’ve even received emails from some people telling me that they have returned to the Church.

I guess my long drawn out point to all of this is that sometimes just a small message is all it takes to open people’s eyes no matter where we are.

Thanks!

In his own way, this parishioner didn’t shrink back from his responsibility to testify to the coming of God’s kingdom nor to point his co-workers to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He wasn’t worried that he didn’t have all of the answers. Instead, he proclaimed his beliefs and effected much good where others may have feared to speak a single word.

Many of the social ills manifesting themselves in our homes and neighborhoods, our towns and cities, our workplaces and parishes, and our nation as well, begin when people fear testifying to what faith requires. And, rather than responding to tough problems with the truth provided by faith, many find it easier to shrug their shoulders and to turn their backs on any opportunity to testify to what faith requires.

One such situation confronted me on Christmas day after one of my nephews announced his engagement. Of course, everyone was happy to hear the news. But, I experienced some trepidation because I knew that, if my nephew and his fiancé were to ask me to marry them, we’d have to have a serious discussion about the criteria I set for couples who ask me to marry them. Through years of experience in working with engaged couples, I’ve learned that you can’t assume anything today, even of a priest’s nephew!

Sure enough, I received an email from the couple several days after Christmas asking if I would perform their wedding. So, I sent this email:

Dear Erik and Christine:

Congratulations on your engagement. I hope the 16 months leading up to your marriage help you to become one in mind and heart intent on God who is the source of your love and will sustain you through your life together.

I am so honored that you have asked me to perform your marriage ceremony and would be happy to do so. But, if I am to perform your marriage ceremony, understand that I have five rules every couple whose marriage ceremony I perform must comply with. First: if you are living together, end it right now. Second: if you are sexually active, cease and desist. Third: attend Church every Sunday as a couple, if at all possible. Fourth: complete the marriage preparation program prescribed by the Archdiocese of Denver and, if possible, make an Engaged Encounter Weekend rather than or in addition to participating in a Pre-Cana meeting. Fifth: read, study, understand and, then, discuss with me the document On the Family written in 1982 by Pope John Paul II.

I can understand that you may not agree with or accept these five requirements and, if so, to decide that you do not want me to perform your marriage. If this is the case, I promise I will not take your decision personally and will be there to celebrate your wedding day. But, the Sacrament of Marriage is such an important sacrament and today is taken so lightly that I’d be doing the two of you and the Church a disservice by not requiring you to "go the extra nine yards" to make your marriage a sacrament.

Talk about all of this and let me know what your decision is.

Love,

UR (that's what my nephews and niece call me)

Well, I didn’t receive an AOL instant message. And, as the days wore on, I did fret that maybe I had hurt their feelings. I was resolute, though, because I believed that I had done the right thing by upholding what our faith requires to ensure the dignity and sacred nature of marriage…even if everyone else in the world believes the contrary. I also remembered instances where couples had said some pretty rough stuff about me and the Church for insisting upon what faith requires and chose to find another, less stubborn, belligerent, hard-headed, and more "liberal" priest to perform their wedding ceremony.

Well, it took about two weeks before I received an email in which my nephew’s fiancé wrote that they’d "comply" with my "regulations." That's a pretty clever way to put it, I thought. But, it turns out, Christine also wrote that she was never confirmed and is, for all practical purposes, what are commonly called "Christmas poinsettias" and "Easter lilies"…the people who show up at church bedecked in beautiful clothes twice a year, making Christmas and Easter mass a "standing room only" event. Now, as part of Christine’s commitment to make her marriage to Erik a sacrament, she’s enrolling in a RCIA program and will be confirmed next year at the Easter Vigil, one week before she and Erik are to be married.

Here’s the point: If I as a priest---or any Catholic, for that matter---fails to testify to what faith requires to make marriage a sacrament, young adults and engaged couples will not hear about the coming of God’s kingdom into their lives and to behold the Lamb of God whose life teaches about the sacrifices and the crosses that, as husbands and wives, they will bear as they struggle together to make their marriage a sacramental union.