Today we hear of John the Baptist's testimony regarding Jesus. All of the gospels are slightly different but it is clear that John the Baptist was a significant figure for the Early Church and the Mandaean religion shows us that his followers continue to this day. What interests me is how people are called by God to forward the plan of salvation. Sometimes, as with John the Baptist, his or her life ends in apparent failure. We can think of our on efforts to serve God which did not turn out the way that we thought at the outset. Nevertheless, with humility and the desire to serve God, great thing can come from our efforts that cooperate with grace. This is evident in the lives of the saints. I can think of the influence of Saint Ambrose on St Augustine or St Albert the Great on St Thomas Aquinas. The impact of even the humblest of saints, such as St Martin de Porres, shows us God's power working through weakness. Let us, therefore, not be discouraged in our works of faith and charity since if we point to Christ, as St John the Baptist did, our efforts will not be in vain. Peter tells us: "Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of us has received. Whoever speaks must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen." (1 Pt 4: 10-11)
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