At this Sunday’s Angelus, Francis reflected on John the Baptist’s testimony about Jesus after he baptized him in the Jordan. According to the Pope, John the Baptist’s testimony reveals his “spirit of service.” He had been sent to prepare the way for the Messiah, and he had done so without sparing himself. John, having accomplished his mission, knew how to distance himself and withdrew from the stage to make way for Jesus”.
Mariangela Jaguraba Vatican News
Pope Francis prayed the Marian Angelus prayer this Sunday (January 15) with the faithful and pilgrims who had gathered in St. Peter’s Square.
In this Sunday service, the Pope reflected on John the Baptist’s testimony about Jesus after he had baptized him in the Jordan. In fact, John the Baptist says, “This is the one of whom I said: After me will come a man superior to me, because he existed before me.” “That’s the testimony,” Papa emphasized.
Make room for Jesus
That statement, that testimony, reveals John’s spirit of service. He had been sent to prepare the way for the Messiah, and he had done so without sparing himself. Humanly one would think he would receive an “award,” a prominent place in Jesus’ public life, but no. John, who has fulfilled his mission, knows how to distance himself, withdrawing from the scene to make way for Jesus.
John saw the Spirit descending on Jesus, “pointing him out as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and now he listens in humility in his turn. From a prophet he becomes a disciple. He preached to the people, gathered disciples and formed himself for a long time. But it keeps no one for itself.” “It is difficult, but it is the mark of a true educator: not to bind people to oneself,” the Pope emphasized, noting that John “puts his disciples in the footsteps of Jesus. He is not interested in gaining followers for himself, reputation and success, but he does testify and then step back so that many may have the joy of meeting Jesus. We can say that he opens the door and leaves”.
Release from attachments
With his spirit of service, and that is a real spirit of service, with his ability to make way for Jesus, John the Baptist teaches us something important: freedom from attachment. It teaches us to free ourselves from attachments. Yes, because it’s easy to get attached to roles and positions, to the need to be valued, recognized and rewarded. This, though of course, is not a good thing, for service involves gratuitousness, true service involves gratuitousness, caring for others without selfinterest, without ulterior motive, without expecting anything in return. It will do us good, like John, to cultivate virtue, to go away at the right moment and to testify that the reference point in life is Jesus. Go away, learn to say goodbye. I’ve done that mission, I’ve held that meeting, I’ve retired and made room for the Lord. Learn to put yourself aside and not take something to get something back for us.
Then Francis invited him to reflect “on how important this is for a priest who is not called to preach and celebrate out of protagonism or interest, but to accompany others to Jesus. Let’s think about how important it is for parents who are raising children with so much sacrifice, but then they have to set them free to go their own way in work, in marriage, in life.” It is beautiful and right, that parents continue to guarantee their presence and tell their children: “We will not go them alone”, but discreetly, without interfering. The freedom to grow”.
Grow in the spirit of service
The same applies to other areas, such as friendship, married life, community life. Breaking free from the attachments of one’s ego and knowing how to walk away from it is costly, but it is very important: it is the crucial step in growing in the spirit of service. Grow in the spirit of service by doing things and setting aside instead of seeking rewards.
The Pope asked us to ask the following questions: “Are we able to give space to others? Listening to them, setting them free, not tying them to us and demanding recognition? even let them speak. Let’s talk, let’s draw others to Jesus or to ourselves. And again following the example of John: We know how to be happy that people follow his path and his call, even if it means a little distance from us ? Do we rejoice in their achievements with sincerity and without envy? Do we rejoice with sincerity and without envy when others carry on? That means letting others grow.”
“May Mary, the handmaid of the Lord, help us to break free from attachments and make room for the Lord and others,” Francis concluded.