On the 10th Day of Christmas my true love gave to me… John crying, “This is he!” Yes, it is the 10th Day and 2nd Sunday of Christmas. So, while the poinsettias still have our blooms and the musicians still lead us in carols, we hear the Christmas story according to the Gospel of John, and we hear again the message of John the Baptist in case we missed it the first time around: “This is he.” John was called by God to give witness to the Light of Christ – a calling we share with him. In baptism we are claimed, redeemed, and forgiven. We receive wisdom and are lavished with grace. We are marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit. We receive an inheritance. Through God’s powerful gift, we are gathered up, become children of God, and receive grace upon grace. AND… we are called to give witness to this light we have experienced. In this holy calling, we – and those baptized today – have John the Baptist as our guide.
title image: Matthias Grünewald, detail of the Isenheim Altarpiece. In the public domain