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Message of the Day
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“The Bride of Christ, the Church, in its human, all too human aspect, can be unfaithful to him. But he never ceases to give himself to her who is his body. He makes her mother of living truth for us, a place of rebirth.”
- Olivier Clement [20th C], The Roots of Christian Mysticism How do you encounter Christ in
the Church? What difference does it make to be part of a Christian community?
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Readings of the Day
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Isaiah 49:1-6
Psalm 139:1b-3, 13-14ab,
14c-15
Acts 13:22-26 Luke 1:57-66, 80 In the days of King Herod of Judaea there lived a priest called Zechariah who belonged to the Abijah section of the priesthood, and he had a wife, Elizabeth by name, who was a descendant of Aaron. Both were worthy in the sight of God, and scrupulously observed all the commandments and observances of
the Lord. But they were childless: Elizabeth was barren and they were both getting on in years.
Now it was the turn of Zechariah’s section to serve, and he was exercising his priestly office before God when it fell to him by lot, as the ritual custom was, to enter the Lord’s sanctuary and burn incense there. And at the hour of incense the whole congregation was outside, praying.
Then there appeared to
him the angel of the Lord, standing on the right of the altar of incense. The sight disturbed Zechariah and he was overcome with fear. But the angel said to him, ‘Zechariah, do not be afraid, your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth is to bear you a son and you must name him John. He will be your joy and delight and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord; he must drink no wine, no strong drink. Even from his mother’s womb he will be filled with the
Holy Spirit, and he will bring back many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah, he will go before him to turn the hearts of fathers towards their children and the disobedient back to the wisdom that the virtuous have, preparing for the Lord a people fit for
him.’ USCCB lectionary
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Reflection on the Scripture
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“Look for the One Who comes after me. I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals on His feet.” —Acts 13:25
We celebrate the birthday of St. John the Baptizer
for the same reason we celebrate the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The significance of John the Baptizer, Mary, and each of us is due to our relationship with Jesus. We celebrate our birthdays because we have been given new birth in Jesus.
We celebrate John because he was chosen to prepare the way for Jesus (see Acts 13:24). We celebrate Mary because she is the mother of Jesus. We celebrate our lives because we have given them to
Jesus. Jesus is “the Way, and the Truth, and the Life” (Jn 14:6). Jesus is “the Beginning and the End” (Rv 21:6), “the First and the Last” (Rv 1:17). Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior, and the Lord. He is God and the only Hope for the world. We live to live in Him (see Jn 6:56). Therefore, let us obey John’s command to behold the Lamb of God (Jn 1:29, 36). “Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus,” the Beginning and the End of our faith (Heb
12:2). Let us “live no longer for” ourselves “but for Him” (2 Cor 5:15). Prayer: “Jesus, my Lord, my God, my All!” (see Jn 20:28) Promise: “Though I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength, yet my reward is with the Lord.” —Is 49:4 Presentation Ministries
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Spiritual Reading
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The Practice of the Presence of God: The Best Rule of Holy Life, by Brother Lawrence (1611 - 1691). Christian Classics Ethereal Library.
https://ccel.org/ccel/lawrence/practice/practice Ninth Letter Enclosing a letter to a corresponding sister, whom he regards with respect tinged with fear. * His old theme concisely
put. THE enclosed is an answer to that which I received from - ; pray deliver it to her. She seems to me full of good will, but she would go faster than grace. One does not become holy all at once. I recommend her to you: we ought to help one another by our advice, and yet more by our good examples. You will oblige me to let me hear of her from time to time, and whether she be very fervent and very
obedient. Let us thus think often that our only business in this life is to please GOD, that perhaps all besides is but folly and vanity. You and I have lived above forty years in religion [i.e., a monastic life]. Have we employed them in loving and serving GOD, who by His mercy has called us to this state and for that very end? I am filled with shame and confusion, when I reflect on the one hand upon the great favours which GOD has done,
and incessantly con- tinues to do, me; and on the other, upon the ill use I have made of them, and my small ad- vancement in the way of perfection.
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