Cry Out in the Wilderness – Reflection on Luke 3:1-6
For John the Baptist to cry out in the wilderness, he had to prepare spiritually. Likewise, if we pursue an interior prayer life, we can hear the same spiritual voice that John the Baptist did. To speak authentically about the Lord, our path needs to become straightened, low and high emotions leveled out, and rough edges smoothed. An obvious sign of being sufficiently prepared is an awareness of interior and exterior forces that do not want us to succeed. More often than not, these subtle signs can appear spiritually, emotionally, and physically. The sense of resonating with Jesus’s ministry from start to end in our awakening is one way we understand the idea of bearing the Cross.
The Voice in the Desert by James Tissot (high-resolution image of the painting)
More details are available on the Brooklyn Museum website.
Luke 3:1-6 – Scripture*
The Proclamation of John the Baptist
3 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, 4 as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,
“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.
5 Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth;
6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”
Additional Thoughts
Thank you for meditating on this Gospel and reading this Lectio Divina on Luke 3:1-6 – Cry out in the Wilderness.
This site has written permission from New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) to use the Luke 3 Bible passage.
Would you like to contribute related thoughts to these Lectio reflections on the Gospel readings? Since Lectio is not the only contemplative prayer style, others might appreciate your expressions in this ministry. Do you see God’s grandeur everywhere and unconditionally enjoy sharing the love of Christ that you have inside? Are you willing to be anonymous in what you would share? If so, email me.
Prayer for young families:
Lord, let the young families of our communities experience your joy, peace, comfort, and love despite worldly distractions. Amen.
Attributions
* This site has written permission to use the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) Bible for the passage of Luke 3.
The Immersive Prayer website follows the guidelines for image web use at the Brooklyn Museum and the Jewish Museum websites.
Primary Lectio Divina word or phrase: Cry Out in the Wilderness
Page and discussion group on these Lectio Divina daily Gospel Readings.
Discussion group on St. John of the Cross.