Just two weeks ago, we celebrated the Birth of John the Baptist. John was the prophet send by God to "prepare the way for the Lord." John is the model for all Christians to prepare the way for others who do not yet know Jesus.

After Herod put John in prison, Jesus began to preach and train his apostles. First, Jesus sent the Twelve Apostles on mission to proclaim the kingdom of God to the Jews within Israel.

Today we hear of Jesus sending 72 disciples to what were the 72 known countries of the world which contained mostly non-Jews. To preach the Good News to everyone requires more people getting involved.

We can see the beginning of the links of an unbroken chain of people who prepared others for the coming of Jesus. John is the first link. The next links were Jesusí apostles who prepared the Israelites to actually listen to the Lord in person. Subsequent links in the chain were the 72 send by Jesus to the world beyond Israel.

As I look back, I can see my links to an unbroken chain of people who brought the Good News to me. My great grandparents were links who I barely knew as a young boy. I was more strongly linked with my grandparents. My parents were the direct connecting links to me. Now I am the living link who is passing on the Good News to my four children. And I am hoping to have grandchildren whom I can help weld into strong links for the chain extending into the future.

Here is a scary scenario. If one of the links in my chain had broken in the past, I may not have heard the Good News. I could have been part of the 4 billion people in the world who are not Christian and part of the about 50% of Oklahomans who are not Christian either.

Each one of us here is a link in one of many unbroken chains extending back to Christ. The Good News has been brought to us through these chains. Now it is our turn to add more links to the chains so that they do not terminate with us.

Obviously, we are to maintain the links within our own families. But our calling goes beyond our families. Matthew ended his gospel with what is called the Great Commission: Jesus said, "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

By adding to the links of these chains, we are bringing to others the possibility of eternal life with God. What greater gift can we give to anyone?

How do we fulfill our part of spreading the Good News by building more links in our chains? Itís very simple: we just tell someone our journey of faith, about how God has acted in our life. Itís our story; itís not wrong. There is a brochure titled "Sharing Your Faith" in the literature rack to help us define our story.

Some of us are apprehensive about sharing our story. We must realize that what we do to bring the Good News to others we do not do alone. In fact, we do not do itóGod does it through us.

Pray to the Holy Spirit for help; I always do. Pope Paul VI said, "The Holy Spirit places on your lips the words which you could not find by yourself, and at the same time predisposes the soul of the hearer to be open and receptive to the Good News and to the kingdom being proclaimed."

To be accepted by others, they must see us as the face of Christ. We must walk our talk, for the way that others receive us anticipates the reception Jesus will be given.

Twice in todayís Gospel reading, Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is at hand." We are working now within the kingdom of God. Yes, the kingdom is still to come, but it is already here. It is already, but not yet. Since we are now in the kingdom, we have kingdom work to do.

This parish is named after St. John the Baptist. As parishioners, each of us is called "to prepare the way for the Lord!"