Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 1,5-25
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.
God gives us dignity
1) Zechariah. He is a consecrated and pious man, who fulfils his religious functions well. But there is something that he finds difficult: this is “believing” and it can also happen to you, perhaps you go to Mass every Sunday, you pray the rosary, and so on; you may fulfil all the pious practices but you may find it difficult to believe; believe in God’s work in your life, in God’s will for your life….Today, take a time to think whether you are a person of faith or you simply fulfill the rubrics of our faith. Think about it, because it’s not the same.
2) Elizabeth. She suffers the pain that the community imposes on her, considering her a miserable woman for not having a child. They even think it’s a punishment from God. How many times does society judges you and makes you suffer?! We may even use God to put pressure on others. You’ve probably heard phrases like ‘God is going to punish you’, or even ‘you’re a punishment from God’. Think of how many people have suffered because of our comments! How many ‘Elizabeths’, men and women, exist today who suffer from being condemned by society!? Ask the gift of fortitude, if you suffer of many things that are said about you and ask also the gift of prudence so you can control your tongue.
3) The Lord has done. God always works and shows us that He never leaves us alone. Don’t get discouraged, God’s times are not ours; be brave and strong because in this life God always surprises us and shows us his infinite love.
Remember Christmas is Jesus.
God bless you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Always remember Heaven is our Goal.
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God Bless You!
