MY daily reflection and prayer:
Saturday, Desember 19, 2015
The Third Week of Advent
Dear my friends,
Here is the Gospel for us today according to St. Luke 1:5-25
In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.
Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, it fell to him by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth; for he will be great before the Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”
And 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 answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stand in the presence of God; and I was sent to speak to you, and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things come to pass, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they wondered at his delay in the temple. And when he came out, he could not speak to them, and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he made signs to them and remained dumb.
And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home. After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she hid herself, saying, “Thus the Lord has done to me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.”
This is the Goaspel of the Lord. Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.
***
THE Gospel today tells us the wondrous miracle of the birth of John the Baptist who are called by God to bring hope and deliverance at a time of spiritual darkness and difficulty for the people of God. In such situation, God’s angelic messenger greeted Zechariah with a blessing beyond his expectations, saying, “Your prayer is heard! You will have a son! And his mission will be great for all of Israel.”
In the annunciation of the birth of John the Baptist, the God’s angel explains to Zechariah the role his son is to play in preparing the way for the Messiah. John will be great in the sight of God. Although Zechariah became speechless until the day the infant was dedicated to God and given the name, John; he was drawn into God’s presence. God wants Zechariah to be still and quiet before him so he can listen to his voice as he speaks to his heart and reveals his mind to him.
In the Perpetual Adoration of the Eucharist, while worshipping Jesus Christ, we want to be still and quiet before him so we can listen to his voice as he speaks to our hearts and reveals his mind to us. There we learn to listen attentively to the Lord and ponder his word in our hearts with trust and confidence.
Let’s pray: Lord Jesus Christ, as in the life of John the Baptist and yours, God wants to save us and he graciously fills us with his Holy Spirit and makes our faith alive to his promises. Restore and strengthen our lives today. May your love rule in all our relationships and remove any barriers to peace and harmony forever and ever. Amen.
Kredit foto: Ilustrasi (Ist)
