John’s Gesture

Leonardo da Vinci’s last painting is titled Saint John the Baptist and was completed in 1515, five years before his death. The painting is startling with its contrasting elements, and causes us to rethink about what we think we already know about John the Baptist. First, it depicts Saint John in the wilderness, dressed in animal skins. This coincides with what we know from the gospel of Mark, who describes John the Baptist as someone who “wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.”  (Mark 1:6). However, all traces of wild, desert living end here. John the Baptist’s face is soft and feminine, and his hair is a glorious cascade of pearls. He holds a reed staff with a cross at the end in his left hand, and his right hand points upward, towards the heavens. Lastly, John the Baptist is smiling a mysterious smile, almost as if he shares an inside secret with you.

This is fitting.  Saint John the Baptist was always pointing towards the heavens and everything about him pointed to God. He was born to parents who were otherwise too old to bear children. The Angel Gabriel visited Elizabeth and Zechariah to announce that they would have a son and that they should name him John.  Zechariah was skeptical and was thus rendered mute. Elizabeth went into seclusion for five months. On the sixth month of her pregnancy, Mary, her cousin makes the arduous trip to the hill country of Judea to visit her. She entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth.   “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” (Luke 1: 41-45)  Mary sings what is now known as the Magnificat in response.

The gospel today introduces us to John, and in so doing, tells us of a way to live. It might be too much to live on “locusts and honey” (Goodbye, Lechon!), but we can live in a way that tells others about God’s love. They may be young, old, Filipino, foreign, Muslim, Protestant or Catholic, but when they are around you and are with you, they feel God’s love. This is when we imitate John, and this is when we point to the heavens. This is when our lives keep pointing upwards.