Isaiah 49:1-6, Acts 13:22-26, Psalm139:1-3, 13-15, Luke 1:57-66, 80

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

BIRTH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST

 

Isaiah 49:1-6, Acts 13:22-26, Psalm139:1-3, 13-15, Luke 1:57-66, 80  

 Isaiah 49:1-6

My soul's beloved, all whom God calls to carry out His work in proclaiming the Kingdom of God, as John the Baptist was called, are equipped by Him. From the moment of conception the Creator all that the one who is called to be and do is given all that he or she will required for God equips those whom He calls. John the Baptist was to be the last of the great prophets with his birth we come to close of one age and the dawn of a new one. He was to be Your herald. He was to prepared the way for the One who was to come and who in his own words said that he was not worthy to loosen the straps of His sandals.

St. John was filled with the Holy Spirit when he come into Your Presence while You both  were still in the your respective mother's womb. Just the sound of the voice of the Mother of God made him leap for joy. You said that there was not a greater prophet than John there was none to match his fearsome boldness, his humility, his passionate commitment to his mission and yet You said that anyone who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than John.

There is nothing more pleasing to God than to see ourselves as who we are and being exceedingly humble for it is God who chooses, God who equips and God who sends. We are only His servants. Let us imitate John the Baptist and ensure that it is always You who increase and we who decrease.

Acts 13:22-26

 My soul's beloved, this is the Good News that God from the dawn of creation has planned that we His creatures would spend a life of perfect joy in His Presence. When we sinned He did not abandon as as we deserved but was prepared to go to the the extreme limits in bringing back fallen humanity back into harmony with Himself. To this end He chose a people and a nation and through them slowly but surely, patiently and lovingly, despite every obstacle that we put in His way, made it possible for Him to put into effect His plan of salvation and redemption. John the Baptist was a part of that plan. As the final prophet of the old age and the first one in the dawn of the new, it was granted to him to prepare the way for You. 

Repentance is the first step towards receiving the new life that You came to give sinners. Thank You Father for not giving up on us but making the ultimate sacrifice in giving up Your Son so He could pay the ransom for our sins. Than You my soul's beloved for lovingly submitting to the will of Your Father and paying the price of our redemption. Thank You Holy Spirit of God for living in us and making it possible with the help of Your grace to live in accordance with the will of God.

Psalm139:1-3, 13-15

 My soul's beloved, I rejoice that You know me as intimately as You do. Your knowledge of me is reassuring. You know my strengths and my weaknesses. You know how I have been fashioned for it is You who did the fashioning. Nothing I say or do surprises You for You know every thought even before I can think it. Your knowledge of Me gives me confidence in You for I know that You do not despise me or look down on me but You understand and love me even when I am weak and I fail. I am so glad that Your gaze on me never wavers and will be on me in time and in eternity.

Luke 1:57-66, 80

My soul's beloved, we see in these verses how God's plan is finally reaching its final stages of completion. All that happens happens at a time of God's own choosing. God sets the time and the place we are called to discern and do all that is asked of us in humility and obedience. When Zechariah acknowledged that the baby would be called John as desired by God and gave the child the name revealed by the angel, he was able to speak again. 

Every child born into the world is a potential John the Baptist. God's hand is with each little one. Each  has a purpose, a mission to carry out, a plan that God has designed and tailor made for this new soul to establish the Kingdom of God on earth. It is a terrible thing when we thwart God's will through the sin of denial of new life of ever being conceived or through the sin of abortion which is an abomination in the sight of God and of creation.

Thank You my soul's beloved, that despite those who hinder God's plan He will always find a way to bring it to completion in His way and in His time so we need not despair but have hope and confidence in His perfect love.