Reflection This Week
CONSTANT, BOLD AND PATIENT

   As I was reading Morning Prayer on the Feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist (June 25 [transferred from June 24]), I was struck by the words in the Prayer for his Feast Day. “Make us so to follow his teaching and holy life, that we may truly repent according to his preaching; and, following his example, constantly speak the truth, boldly rebuke vice, and patiently suffer for the truth’s sake.” I suspect I was in awe of these words because, in examining my own conscience, I come up quite short. You, too?

   We know from the Gospels that John was never hesitant to speak the truth whenever and to whomever. John knew that we human beings tend to cut ourselves a whole lot of slack when it comes to being honest with ourselves about our behavior. What we condemn in others, when it comes to our own conduct, we allow a whole lot of leniency . John was constant in calling a spade a spade and never hesitated in telling the truth

   Furthermore, it did not matter if his listeners were rich or poor, powerful or subservient, saints or sinners. He boldly rebuked those who were doing what they knew was wrong even if it meant harm to himself. In fact, that is precisely what, in the end, cost him his life. He called Herod on his sin, was put into jail and eventually beheaded. Constantly speaking the truth can be costly, even deadly.

   In suffering for constantly speaking the truth and boldly rebuking vice, he was a model of patience – as was Jesus. Both knew the consequences of truth-telling. Neither shied away nor held his tongue nor backed down. And when they had to suffer for their faith, they did so patiently, quietly and with confidence in God.

   One of the reasons, perhaps the main reason, why we tend to be somewhat less constant, bold, and patient is that we know we fall short when we compare our lives to that of John, and a great deal short compared to Jesus. We wonder what right we have in calling another to task when we fail so often in our own lives. What we tend to forget is that the truth is still the truth no matter who speaks it and sin is still sin, no matter who is the one naming it.

   Of course, the reason why we can be constant in speaking the truth and bold in rebuking vice is that we have truly repented of our own sins. We know who we are. We admit who we are. We do not claim to be better than anyone else. We simply know that we have sinned and have been forgiven, will continue to sin and will continue to be forgiven but are trying to do our best each day.

   None of this means that we will be willingly heard or, even less, thanked for our honesty in speaking the truth. In fact, the opposite is the reality. That is why we remember John the Baptist: his example, his life, his suffering and even his death. We will never be beheaded for being constant, bold and patient in living out of our faith, but there will be those who, in one way or another, want our head. They will make us suffer.

   However, lest we become big headed in all this, we need to remind ourselves that there are times in our own lives when the shoe is on the other foot, when we are the ones being called by others to repent and change our ways. While the Prayer on the Feast of John the Baptist reminds us that our faith calls us to be constant, bold and patient, and that we may be so doing, it is also a reminder that we still fall far short of what that faith demands of us.     WJP