A Catholic bishop has urged lay people to follow John the Baptist’s example of bringing people to God by speaking the truth courageously. The famous Marian shrine in the Archdiocese of Bombay celebrated the feasts of John the Baptist, Saint Josemaria Escriva and Laity Sunday on June 24. Auxiliary Bishop His Excellency John Rodrigues of Bombay while presiding over a Mass in Mount Mary’s Basilica, Bandra, a suburb of Mumbai asked the laity to be witness truth and courage.
As reported by mattersindia.com, His Grace Auxiliary Bishop of Bombay remarked that “John the Baptist was the bearer of good news. He wanted to give to the world the joy he had experienced while in the womb recognizing the presence of God. He was not afraid to speak the truth. He spoke the truth to the powerful of his time — Herod and Pharisees. He was uncompromising, although it led to his beheading.” His Excellency added, “The divine providence had interwoven the three celebrations. Though separate, the feasts are celebrated together as they all have the same mission – doing God’s work among ordinary daily life instances. Laity Sunday sets the background where the driving force of the Church is not the religious, but the laity. Unless we learn to find the Lord in ordinary, everyday life, we will never find him.”
Referring to the naming of John the Baptist, His Excellency Bishop Rodrigues concluded his remarks by exhorting that the Church gives much significance to naming a person. “The name you bear denotes your mission of Christ here on earth.”
Source: www.mattersindia.com
