Feast: Nativity of John the Baptist: Thursday 24th June, 2021 June 24, 2021
Reflection on the WORD
John the Baptist: Today’s Gospel episode captures the Birth of John the Baptist within which the divine mystery of God’s Plan of Salvation unfolds. Ponder on, “God chooses special people like: Mary, Joseph, Zechariah, Elizabeth and other great Prophets for His Plans. God too wants us to participate in His Plan of Salvation.”
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 shown her so great a kindness, they shared her joy.
Now 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.
The child grew up and his spirit matured. And he lived out in the wilderness until the day he appeared openly to Israel.
Today's Pointers on God's Word
As you read the passage what words, phases or meanings caught your attention?
- •Elizabeth remembered the Lord’s message to name her son John. Indeed, this allows us to see that she never forgets the goodness of our Lord, and does all that He commands her to do
- •Likewise, Zechariah, though initially doubtful of the Angel’s message, believed in God’s goodness in naming his son John.
- •God will never forsake those who plead for forgiveness and change their ways for the better like Zechariah. We too need to realize that no matter how badly we have sinned, it is never too late to turn to God as long as we have a sincere desire to do so.