1ST READING
God
has a plan for everyone and it is up to us discover this. As we
celebrate the birth of John the Baptist, we can wonder what it would be
like to have Jesus for our first cousin. But it will be far more
productive for us to listen to what God has to say about His will for
our lives than focus on something that has more to do with someone else.
Isaiah 49:1-6
1 Hear me, O coastlands, listen, O distant peoples. The Lord called me from birth, from my mother’s womb he gave me my name. 2 He
made of me a sharp-edged sword and concealed me in the shadow of his
arm. He made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me. 3 “You are my servant,” he said to me, “Israel, through whom I show my glory.” 4 Though I thought I had toiled in vain, and for
nothing, uselessly, spent my strength, yet my reward is with the Lord, my recompense is with my God. 5 For
now the Lord has spoken who formed me as his servant from the womb,
that Jacob may be brought back to him and Israel gathered to him; and I
am made glorious in the sight of the Lord, and my God is now my
strength! 6 “It
is too little,” he says, “for you to be my servant, to raise up the
tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make you a
light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the
earth.”
P S A L M
Psalm 139:1-3, 13-14, 14-15
R: I praise You, for I am wonderfully made.
1 O Lord, you have probed me, you know me: 2 you know when I sit and when I stand; you understand my thoughts from afar. 3 My journeys and my rest you scrutinize, with all my ways you are familiar. (R) 13 Truly you have formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb. 14 I give you
thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made; wonderful are your works. (R) My soul also you knew full well; 15 nor was my frame unknown to you when I was made in secret, when I was fashioned in the depths of the earth. (R)
2ND READING
Even
though Jesus is his first cousin, John acknowledges His preeminence by
saying that he is not worthy to undo Jesus’ sandal. This humility is
important to reflect upon as it is the basis of obedience in our lives.
Without humility it will not be possible to be a disciple of Jesus.
Without humility, we will never be willing to even listen to the will of
God for us.
Acts 13:22-26
22 In those days, Paul said: “God raised up David as king; of him God testified, ‘I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will carry out my every wish.’ 23 From this man’s descendants God, according to his promise, has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus. 24 John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel; 25 and
as John was completing his course, he would say, ‘What do you suppose
that I am? I am not he. Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy
to unfasten the sandals of his feet.’ 26 My
brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those others among you who
are God-fearing, to us this Word of Salvation has been sent.”
GOSPEL
John
matured in the wilderness. He must have had a sense that he had an
important role to play in the work of God, and so he set aside time to
prepare himself in a place where there would be few distractions.
Today’s world is precisely the opposite to this. It is full of
distractions. I cannot help thinking that if we are truly to hear the
voice of God clearly, we have to be very disciplined in setting aside
times when that is our sole focus.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
You, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, for you will gobefore the Lord to prepare his way.
Luke 1:57-66, 80
57 When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother said in reply, “No. He will be called John.” 61 But they answered her, “There is no one among your relatives who has this name.” 62 So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. 63 He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,” and all were amazed. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God. 65 Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed
throughout the hill country of Judea. 66 All
who heard these things took them to heart, saying, “What, then, will
this child be?” For surely the hand of the Lord was with him. 80 The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel.
think: Without humility it will not be possible to be a disciple of Jesus.
T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: __________________
____________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today_
_____________________________________
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR 1 Chronicles 4-6
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