Greetings on this the Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
Readings: Is 49:1-6; PS 139:1b-3, 13-14ab, 14c-15; Acts 13:22-26; Lk 1:57-66, 80
Happy Birthday, John!
Most children are eagerly awaited for by their expectant mothers. So too John the Baptist and so much more. Each of us has a Date of Birth and Date of Death (TBD, of course). All of us were eagerly awaited.
- By Mother.
- By Father.
- Aunts, Uncles, all family and friends.
All must wait until the day to turn the hearts.
Summary
Today’s readings are about our destiny. We share a common destiny. We have a DOB and DOD and a course of life we choose. In our sacred readings we encounter: Abraham, Jacob, Israel, Jesse, King David, Elizabeth, Zechariah, John the Baptist, St Paul, and Jesus who all had choices and destinies. Everyone has a role to play in the history of humanity. These above had very specific roles. So too we.
Each of these in one way or another proclaimed the psalmist praise and awe.
O LORD, you have probed me, you know me:
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother’s womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works.
My soul also you knew full well;
nor was my frame unknown to you
When I was made in secret,
when I was fashioned in the depths of the earth.
Each of us are alike in accordance with our personhood and particular nature.
Reflection
Lo, I will send you (Mal 3:23). You are like Elijah.
It is your mission to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers.
Personal Reflection
Be filled with the Holy Spirit. Bless the Lord, the God of Israel. Your God, too.
Of all your acquiring, alliances and advantages they are nothing but dross.
It is our mission to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers.
Conclusion
What can we do today to turn hearts – fathers to children, children to fathers? How can you turn hearts?
Sacred Scripture
Full link: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/062424.cfm
First Reading
The LORD called me from birth, from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.
Responsorial
I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
Second Reading
From this [King David] man’s descendants God, according to his promise, has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus. John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel; 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.’
Gospel Acclamation
You, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way.
Gospel
When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her.
For surely the hand of the Lord was with him. The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel.
Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry