DGeMs- Daily Gospel eMessage
Dear Friend in the Lord,
John the Baptist: In today’s Gospel, the miraculous birth of John the Baptist, in Elizabeth’s old age, and the return of Zechariah’s speech, foretell the divine mystery that lies ahead. Ponder on, “God also wants each of us to bring others closer to Him. What are God’s special blessings on you for this mission?
Fr Philip Heng, S.J.
Luke 1:57-64, 80
The time came for Elizabeth to have her child, and she gave birth to a son; and when her neighbours and relations heard that the Lord had lavished on her his faithful love, they shared her joy.
Now it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother spoke up. ‘No,’ she said, ‘he is to be called John.’ They said to her, ‘But no one in your family has that name,’ and made signs to his father to find out what he wanted him called. The father asked for a writing-tablet and wrote, ‘His name is John.’ And they were all astonished. At that instant his power of speech returned and he spoke and praised God.
Meanwhile the child grew up and his spirit grew strong. And he lived in the desert until the day he appeared openly to Israel.