John the Baptist features prominently during the period leading up to Christmas. He is the last of the great Old Testament prophets bringing God's message to his people. Jesus implies that he is one of the greatest and yet, because he never lived to see the saving work of Jesus, he is 'least in God's Kingdom'. His work was among his own people; the mission of Jesus is to the whole world and we all are the beneficiaries. Jesus calls him Elijah because Elijah, who went to 'heaven' in a fiery chariot, was expected some day to return. His return would herald the imminent arrival of the Messiah. John played that role. And it is important to realise that it is our role too. Jesus will not come to people and will not be known by them unless we go out and tell them. We, too, are called to be prophets, proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom by the way we live.