Clothe Yourself with Christ
In today’s Gospel reading, we are introduced to John the Baptist, who is intent on proclaiming conversion through baptism. Mark invites each one of us to clothe ourselves with Christ: with his way of living, thinking and acting. In short, to clothe ourselves with the Gospel, with God’s love for us, with the logic of good–the only way to navigate daily life, which is marked by death, including the ultimate death, and live forever (cf. Rm. 13:14).
John nourished himself on wild honey. Throughout the Bible, honey is a symbol of the Word of God. Leaving aside metaphor: if in the desert of our existence–where everything has the flavor of death, defeat and evil–we begin to nourish ourselves with the Word of God, that is, if we begin to experience the Love that conquers even death, then we will begin to destroy the “serpent” that is always striving to infect us with the tremendous lie that God is a boss-master, a vindictive and terrible judge. If we refuse to accept this lie, then we are able to hasten toward the Father’s embrace of mercy and goodness, toward the place he has prepared for us from all eternity, our true Promised Land.
And there, nourished by his love, aware that we are his cherished children, clothed with the same mind as Christ (Phil. 2:5), we overcome death itself, because we are finally able to love.
Taken from the book, Homilies, by Fr. Paolo Scquizzato
Near indeed is salvation for the loyal;
prosperity will fill our land.
