DECEMBER 19 - Gospel (Lk 1:5-25) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

“How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” (Lk 1:18)

FIRST READING - Jgs 13:2-7, 24-25a

A reading from the Book of Judges

There was a certain man from Zorah, of the clan of the Danites,

whose name was Manoah.

His wife was barren and had borne no children.

An angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her,

"Though you are barren and have had no children,

yet you will conceive and bear a son.

Now, then, be careful to take no wine or strong drink

and to eat nothing unclean.

As for the son you will conceive and bear,

no razor shall touch his head,

for this boy is to be consecrated to God from the womb.

It is he who will begin the deliverance of Israel

from the power of the Philistines."

The woman went and told her husband,

"A man of God came to me;

he had the appearance of an angel of God, terrible indeed.

I did not ask him where he came from, nor did he tell me his name.

But he said to me,

'You will be with child and will bear a son.

So take neither wine nor strong drink, and eat nothing unclean.

For the boy shall be consecrated to God from the womb,

until the day of his death.'"

The woman bore a son and named him Samson.

The boy grew up and the LORD blessed him;

the Spirit of the LORD stirred him.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Lk 1:5-25

From the Gospel according to Luke

In the days of Herod, King of Judea,

there was a priest named Zechariah

of the priestly division of Abijah;

his wife was from the daughters of Aaron,

and her name was Elizabeth.

Both were righteous in the eyes of God,

observing all the commandments

and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly.

But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren

and both were advanced in years.

Once when he was serving as priest

in his division's turn before God,

according to the practice of the priestly service,

he was chosen by lot

to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense.

Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside

at the hour of the incense offering,

the angel of the Lord appeared to him,

standing at the right of the altar of incense.

Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him.

But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah,

because your prayer has been heard.

Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,

and you shall name him John.

And you will have joy and gladness,

and many will rejoice at his birth,

for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.

He will drink neither wine nor strong drink.

He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb,

and he will turn many of the children of Israel

to the Lord their God.

He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah

to turn the hearts of fathers toward children

and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous,

to prepare a people fit for the Lord."

Then Zechariah said to the angel,

"How shall I know this?

For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years."

And the angel said to him in reply,

"I am Gabriel, who stand before God.

I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news.

But now you will be speechless and unable to talk

until the day these things take place,

because you did not believe my words,

which will be fulfilled at their proper time."

Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah

and were amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary.

But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them,

and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary.

He was gesturing to them but remained mute.

Then, when his days of ministry were completed, he went home.

After this time his wife Elizabeth conceived,

and she went into seclusion for five months, saying,

"So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit

to take away my disgrace before others."

DECEMBER 19 - Gospel (Lk 1:5-25)

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear People of God,

In today's Word of God, God tells all humanity about the birth of Saint John the Baptist, a great prophet who prepared the way for the Son of God to come to earth to become a human being.

The birth of Saint John the Baptist was demonstrated by the power of God so that humanity would recognize Him as the Most High.

God said that Saint John's parents were advanced in years, and past the age of childbearing; but John was stillborn by the power of God.

John's birth was very special: the angel Gabriel, who always stands before the presence of God, brought God's command to Zechariah, announcing that his son would be a great prophet of God, the one who would go before to prepare the way for the Most High to come to earth to become a human being.

It was this prophet who would carry out all of God's commands. He will live a simple, poor, and fasting life, hidden in the desert, waiting for the day when he will appear before mankind. He will carry out the mission that God has given him and will be faithful to this mission until his last breath to bring many sinners back to God.

Today's Word of God tells us that Zechariah was mute and could not speak until the day his child was born. He was mute due to his unbelief. He doubted the words of the angel Gabriel who announced God's message to him. His being mute was a sign of him seeing God's power to fulfill what God had foretold him.

Indeed, when the child was born, he immediately opened his mouth to praise God, and after naming the child John, which means "God is pleased." That was the name the angel told him to give his son. This was a special name because no one in Elizabeth's family had that name.

God lets humanity know that all the works that manifest God's plan of salvation for all humanity are according to God's will. Humans could never do this if God did not intervene; therefore, humans should only know how to listen to and obey God's commands.

Today, God calls on all humanity to have absolute faith in God's love and obey Him; do not doubt, do not think according to human understanding but live a simple, humble life like Saint John the Baptist, listen to God's teachings, and put them into practice.

For those who practice according to what God has commanded, their souls will experience happiness in God, both in this life and in the next.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

19:00 December 19th, 2024 Prayer of Divine Mercy - The Way to Heaven