20260624 WITNESSING REQUIRES A LIFE OF INTEGRITY
24 June 2026, Wednesday, The Nativity of St John the Baptist
First reading | Isaiah 49:1-6 |
I will make you the light of the nations so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth
Islands, listen to me,
pay attention, remotest peoples.
The Lord called me before I was born,
from my mother’s womb he pronounced my name.
He made my mouth a sharp sword,
and hid me in the shadow of his hand.
He made me into a sharpened arrow,
and concealed me in his quiver.
He said to me, ‘You are my servant (Israel)
in whom I shall be glorified’;
while I was thinking, ‘I have toiled in vain,
I have exhausted myself for nothing’;
and all the while my cause was with the Lord,
my reward with my God.
I was honoured in the eyes of the Lord,
my God was my strength.
And now the Lord has spoken,
he who formed me in the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him,
to gather Israel to him:
‘It is not enough for you to be my servant,
to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel;
I will make you the light of the nations
so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 138(139):1-3,13-15 |
I thank you for the wonder of my being.
O Lord, you search me and you know me,
you know my resting and my rising,
you discern my purpose from afar.
You mark when I walk or lie down,
all my ways lie open to you.
I thank you for the wonder of my being.
For it was you who created my being,
knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I thank you for the wonder of my being,
for the wonders of all your creation.
I thank you for the wonder of my being.
Already you knew my soul,
my body held no secret from you
when I was being fashioned in secret
and moulded in the depths of the earth.
I thank you for the wonder of my being.
Second reading | Acts 13:22-26 |
Jesus, whose coming was heralded by John
Paul said: ‘God deposed Saul and made David their king, of whom he approved in these words, “I have selected David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will carry out my whole purpose.” To keep his promise, God has raised up for Israel one of David’s descendants, Jesus, as Saviour, whose coming was heralded by John when he proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the whole people of Israel. Before John ended his career he said, “I am not the one you imagine me to be; that one is coming after me and I am not fit to undo his sandal.”
‘My brothers, sons of Abraham’s race, and all you who fear God, this message of salvation is meant for you.’
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Lk1:76 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
As for you, little child, you shall be called
a prophet of God, the Most High.
You shall go ahead of the Lord
to prepare his ways before him.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 1:57-66,80 |
'His name is John'
The time came for Elizabeth to have her child, and she gave birth to a son; and when her neighbours and relations heard that the Lord had shown her so great a kindness, they shared her joy.
Now on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother spoke up. ‘No,’ she said ‘he is to be called John.’ They said to her, ‘But no one in your family has that name’, and made signs to his father to find out what he wanted him called. The father asked for a writing-tablet and wrote, ‘His name is John.’ And they were all astonished. At that instant his power of speech returned and he spoke and praised God. All their neighbours were filled with awe and the whole affair was talked about throughout the hill country of Judaea. All those who heard of it treasured it in their hearts. ‘What will this child turn out to be?’ they wondered. And indeed the hand of the Lord was with him.
Meanwhile the child grew up and his spirit matured. And he lived out in the wilderness until the day he appeared openly to Israel.
WITNESSING REQUIRES A LIFE OF INTEGRITY
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Is 49:1-6; Ps 139:1-3,13-15; Acts 13:22-26; Luke 1:57-66,80]
The birth of John the Baptist was a gift to all the people of God, not just to Elizabeth. Indeed, both parents understood that the miraculous conception of John to a barren couple meant more than meets the eye. Hence, when John was born, he was given a name that broke from the tradition of his father, Zechariah. He was called “John,” which means “the grace or gift of God.”
Zechariah knew that this child would be different from others. His long period of silence in contemplation and prayer–ever since the day of the angel’s annunciation–had led him to believe and understand the full implications of the prophecy: that John would be the forerunner of Jesus, the baby in the womb of their cousin, Mary. Indeed, the Lord had distinct plans for John the Baptist. As the first reading says, “The Lord called me before I was born, from my mother’s womb he pronounced my name. He made my mouth a sharp sword, and hid me in the shadow of his hand. He made me into a sharpened arrow, and concealed me in his quiver.” He was called to be the prophet who would usher in the Messiah.
While everyone else wondered in their hearts upon hearing of the birth of John the Baptist, asking, “What then will this child be?”, Zechariah and Elizabeth remembered what the angel had said: “He will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Lk 1:15-17).
Indeed, when John was born, Zechariah prayed the “Benedictus,” praising God for His mercy and faithfulness to the Covenant. In the Second reading, St. Paul, reflecting on God’s plan, underscored that Jesus as the Saviour was always in the mind of God, and that John the Baptist was uniquely called to be His precursor. Paul notes: “To keep his promise, God has raised up for Israel one of David’s descendants, Jesus, as Saviour, whose coming was heralded by John when he proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the whole people of Israel. Before John ended his career, he said, ‘I am not the one you imagine me to be; that one is coming after me and I am not fit to undo his sandal.'” Ultimately, the work of John the Baptist was simply to prepare a people to receive the Messiah.
We who celebrate this feast today are called to do the same. All of us–and not just the prophets, John the Baptist, or St. Paul–have been called by the Lord before our birth to be messengers of Christ. Our task is to prepare the hearts of others to receive Him. We are called to witness to Christ not only through our words, but by our lives.
Indeed, unless we embody the life of Christ, we lack the credibility to witness to Him. The danger is that we can speak extensively about Jesus, cite Scripture, and teach others, yet remain counter-witnesses because our actions do not match our professed beliefs. From John the Baptist, we learn how to become credible witnesses who truly prepare the hearts of those around us. Consequently, we must reflect on what his life teaches us about being authentic witnesses to Christ today.
John the Baptist distinguishes himself through a lifestyle of complete integrity; he truly lives what he believes. Mark tells us that “John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey” (Mk 1:6). We must not mistake this for a fashion statement, as some might do today; rather, it was a profound prophetic statement about his calling. By eating like the very poor, John fully identified with them. Furthermore, his attire was a deliberate allusion to the ancient prophet Elijah, signalling that his mission was to call the nation to repentance. His dress and lifestyle stood as a radical protest against the injustice, selfishness, and corruption of his day.
Similarly, the context of his ministry in the desert is a symbolic reference to the era of Moses, when the Hebrews were set free from Egyptian slavery. In the desert, the Israelites had learned to rely on God alone, being purified in their faith and their love of neighbour. The crowds seeking John in the desert mirrored that historical journey: acknowledging their own disobedience and rebellion, they desired a fresh start. By confessing their sins and being baptized by John in the River Jordan, they replayed the experience of the ancient Hebrews, who were washed of their past and carried from slavery into freedom as they crossed the Red Sea.
Secondly, St. John displayed two essential virtues for authentic witnessing: courage and humility. He was entirely fearless and uncompromising when preaching and speaking the truth. He rebuked the Pharisees and Sadducees, calling them a “brood of vipers.” He also gave practical advice to common people and professionals alike to act honestly: “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” To the tax collectors, he said, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” And to the soldiers, he commanded, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages” (Lk 3:11-14). Even when confronting King Herod and Herodias, he refused to remain silent before the great and powerful, standing firm even in the face of imprisonment and death (Mk 6:17-29).
He was humble and non-self-referential. His sole objective was to bring the people to repentance and lead them back to God as he prepared them to receive the Messiah. When his popularity grew, he refused to claim to be the Messiah himself, even though many thought he might be the One. He knew his place and his role, and he was content with it; he never tried to be something he was not.
To those who sought to stir up his ambition, he said: “No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven. You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of him.’ He who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. For this reason my joy has been fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease” (Jn 3:27-30).
In conclusion, John the Baptist’s ministry was profoundly effective because he lived a life of integrity fused with a fierce passion for the Gospel. Living with that same integrity is what will make our own witness credible and persuasive. John embodied his message of repentance through a life of personal holiness. Filled with the Holy Spirit and true to his calling, he left no stone unturned in executing his mission. He was passionate for the Lord and single-minded in his vocation as the forerunner of the Messiah, refusing to rest until his work was complete.
This unwavering dedication is why, even while sitting in prison knowing his days were numbered, his primary concern remained his mission. He sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” His mind and heart were finally put to rest when he received the Lord’s reply: “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them” (Mt 11:3-5). With those reassuring words, John found ultimate peace in his vocation, knowing he had truly prepared the way for the Messiah.
We, too, must therefore examine our own lifestyle and maintain a clear self-awareness of who we are and what we are called to do. It is important to remind ourselves that witnessing is not merely a matter of words or deeds, but is expressed through our entire way of living–including what we wear, how we eat, and how we spend our time. Through our daily lives, we bear witness to the values of the Gospel.
Thus, we must ask ourselves: how much does our lifestyle give glory to God? Do we contradict what we profess to believe by the way we live? As St. Paul wrote, “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Col 3:17). He further urges us, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; glorify God in your body” (1 Cor 6:19-20). Writing to the Romans, he adds, “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world” (Rom 12:1-2). Ultimately, effective Christian witness requires not just theological knowledge, but passion, integrity, and above all, a credible lifestyle that inspires and reflects our deepest beliefs.
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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