John preached harshly against the scribes and Pharisees and they went to see him in the desert, but at a distance so that they could judge him and not be baptized by him. We can characterize John’s approach as follows: He preached hard, and he said difficult things to the Pharisees, scribes, and priests. He did not say to them: «My dear ones, behave well». Not. He simply said to them: «Snake breed», so directly. He did not use shades. Because they came to check and watch, never with an open heart: «Snake breed». He risked his life, yes, but he was faithful.
Then he said directly to Herod’s face: «You adulterer, you are not allowed to live like this, adulterer!» In the face! Well, it is clear that if a priest today said in his Sunday homily: “Some of you are a breed of snakes and many are adulterers”, the bishop would certainly receive many disgruntled letters: “Send away this offending priest”. And John the Baptist attacked. Why? Because he was faithful to his calling and the truth. Further, the Gospel tells about the attitude of John the Baptist towards sinners, from whom he expected the first step, and when they took it, then he baptized them. He did not ask of them more than they were capable of doing.
Even John the Baptist, in addition to his greatness and firmness in his profession, had to deal with doubts. The big ones can afford to have doubts, and that’s nice. They are sure of their calling, but every time the Lord shows them a new path to follow, they are in doubt: «But this is not orthodox, this is heretical, this is not the Messiah I expected». That’s the devil’s work, and some friend is helping him, right? Here is the greatness of John the great, the last in the line of believers beginning with Abraham. The greatness of the one who preaches conversion, the one who does not use half-hearted words to condemn the proud, the one who allows himself to have doubts at the end of his life. And this is a nice program for the Christian life.
Telling things the truth and accepting from people what they are capable of doing – their first step. Through John the Baptist, let us ask for the grace of apostolic courage to always say things in truth, with pastoral love, and to accept people with a little cane to give – the first step. God will do the rest. And also the grace to doubt. Many times, perhaps at the end of life, a person can ask: Is everything I believed true, or are they fabrications? – a temptation towards faith, towards the Lord. May the great John the Baptist, who is the smallest in the kingdom of heaven, that is why he is great, help us on this journey in the footsteps of the Lord.