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(Is.61:1-2,10-11; \xa0 Lk.1:46-50,53-54; \xa0 1Thes.5:16-24; \xa0 Jn.1:6-8,19-28) \xa0 \u201cA man named John was sent from God.\u201d \xa0 Here is the one of whom the prophet speaks, and who can rightly proclaim the words inscribed by Isaiah: \u201cThe spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me.\u201d\xa0 Here is he who has come \u201cto announce a year of favor from the Lord and a day of vindication by our God.\u201d\xa0 The Spirit is upon him and he speaks of the coming Messiah.\xa0 He has been sent by God to \u201ctestify to the light.\u201d But who heeds his proclamation?\xa0 Who is able to hear this voice crying and find the joy of the path it would blaze in their hearts?\xa0 How many are still as the priests and Levites and Pharisees of today\u2019s gospel, inquiring so blindly, \u201cWho are you\u201d?\xa0 How many are as the commentators of the missal I read, who term the prophecy of Isaiah a \u201cpoem,\u201d and state that the Canticle of Mary is \u201ca song that Luke put into the mouth of Mary\u201d?\xa0 How many have no sense of prophecy, or the Spirit, or God Himself?\xa0 How many are deaf to John\u2019s cry? Our brother Paul instructs us: \u201cDo not quench the Spirit.\xa0 Do not despise prophetic utterances.\u201d\xa0 And yet the greatest of all prophetic utterances are watered down in ankle-deep wisdom.\xa0 \u201cMy soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,\u201d Mary declares.\xa0 The Spirit wells up in her spirit and she cannot but \u201crejoice in God [her] Savior.\u201d\xa0 These are not words put into her mouth by any man; her prophecy does not come from the pen of a scribe but from the very Spirit of God! The Word of God cannot be chained; the voice \u201ccrying out in the desert\u201d cannot be tamed by those \u201cnot worthy to untie\u201d the mysteries hidden in sacred Scripture.\xa0 Paul will be put under house arrest; the Baptist Herod will cast into his dungeon; the Christ shall be crucified \u2013 but the Word of God will go forth, and nothing shall silence its voice.\xa0 The testimony to the light must be heard, \u201cso that all might believe through Him\u201d; there will ever be proclaimed \u201cliberty to captives and release to the prisoners\u201d by the power of Jesus Christ, until all hear of the mercy He has \u201con those who fear Him.\u201d \xa0 A man named John was sent, not to testify to himself, but to prophesy the grace of God; and his voice will cry out the way to the ends of the earth and to the end of time. Written, read & chanted, and produced by James Kurt. Music: "Removing the Log from my Eye" (second part)\xa0from Listening to the Lamp, ninth album of Songs for Children of Light, by James Kurt. ******* O LORD, your Son is coming and we should repent of all sin that we might be ready to rejoice and give Him praise.\xa0 YHWH, the fire of the Spirit has come to us; John has proclaimed the light in our midst.\xa0 Jesus, your Son, is now among us, and what should we do but rejoice? O LORD God, holy is your NAME, and holy is the One whom you send to us.\xa0 So holy is He that we are not worthy to kneel at His feet.\xa0 For He reflects your greatness, O LORD; His light is your own.\xa0 How can we stand in your overwhelming glory, except that in Him we receive your promised mercy in our soul? What mercy you bring us this day, LORD God!\xa0 What grace is ours in the word the Baptist speaks.\xa0 For he proclaims the Christ come among us \u2013 he proclaims the salvation of your lowly ones. We are but your servants, LORD, unworthy to wait on your only Son.\xa0 Yet you bless us with your loving mercy and invite us to perfection in Him.\xa0 And so, what can we do but rejoice?