When asked who he was, John the Baptist first of all affirmed who he was not. Eventually he described himself in terms of the mission he was involved in. He was the one who prepared the way of the Lord.

Inspired by today's Gospel, you, too, might reflect on your mission in life, your vocation, on that which God is calling you to do during your earthly lifetime. Of course you may answer in terms of your current profession. You may be a doctor and see that your vocation is to help the sick. Or you may be a priest and understand that your mission in life is to spread the Gospel. Every doctor and every priest could say something like that. When you ask yourself what is your personal mission in life you have to dig deeper and provide a more personal answer based on your talents, abilities and your personal history. God certainly created you for something unique and extraordinary, so do not put yourself in the box of a simplistic answer and ask the one who created you: Who am I? When you listen to the answer you will also know what your mission in life is.