The Forum is an annual gathering of Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph where we pray together and educate ourselves on pertinent congregational information, and remain open to the Holy Spirit in our lives.  The theme of this Forum was “May I Have this Dance?”  This theme reminds us we are in a dance of faith and joy with God as we go forward on our Sacred Journey together.  This reflection, based on the readings of the day, was shared on the feast of St. John the Baptist.

Reflection by Sister Paula Zelazo, FSSJ as we began our 2024 Forum. 

How providential that at the beginning of our Forum we celebrate the feast of the birth of John the Baptist.

At first glance it may seem we don’t have that much in common with him.  Even though he came from an exceptional family, he’s difficult to relate to. Would you invite him to be a guest at your elegant dinner?  I mean, look how he’s dressed! Couldn’t he have cleaned up a bit?  He requests a special meal of locusts and honey!  And he’s totally lacking in social graces and conversational skills. Who would want to sit next to him?

But if we look beyond the superficial I believe John is relevant for us today. Why did crowds flock to hear him preach at the Jordan River?

As I reflect on his life 3 things stand out for me:

The first thing that inspires me about him is that his beliefs, words and actions were the same.  He was a man of integrity–he lived what he preached. And that’s what made his message so authentic and attractive. Even though his call to repentance was challenging, people were drawn to him and listened. They could have walked away, but they came back for more!

Secondly, John’s preaching was effective because he was completely empty of himself.  He models for me there’s no greater joy in my life than for Jesus to increase and for me to decrease, especially when I get self-absorbed and self-reliant.   I need his witness when I forget who God is and who I am.

And thirdly, I’m impressed that in a time of change, John showed humility and faithfulness to be the precursor who didn’t have all the answers.  He even questioned if Jesus really was the long-awaited Messiah. He lived in the tension of an in-between time, bridging the past and the future. I think he’s just the saint we need now as we, too, live in an in-between time in the history of the Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph.

Normally, we give a gift to the one who is celebrating a birthday. But today, John the Baptist gives us the gift of his intercession that we may be faithful to the mission God has given each of us from the womb. And just like he did 2,000 years ago, he indicates to us the path to holiness by pointing us to Jesus, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.  So, Sisters, what do you think? Can we invite him to join us in our FSSJ dance these next 3 days?