Daily Scripture Reflection & Prayer: June 24, 2023

Luke 1:5-17

In the days of Herod, King of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah of the priestly division of Abijah; his wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Both were righteous in the eyes of God, observing all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren and both were advanced in years.

Once when he was serving as priest in his division’s turn before God, according to the practice of the priestly service, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense. Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside at the hour of the incense offering, the angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right of the altar of incense. Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. John will drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb, and he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn their hearts toward their children and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to prepare a people fit for the Lord.”

Breaking the text open:

The gospel reading for today, the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, is taken from the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke. The text reveals to us the LORD’s role in the very conception and life of this important figure in the Christian Mission of Salvation. Salvation comes to us from the Father, through the Son, in the Spirit. John the Baptist, from the moment his future conception through the intercession of the LORD was announced, was to an instrument of the LORD in the salvific mission of Christ. The reading reminds us that our LORD is not a distant and detached LORD but rather a personal and present LORD. The reading also reminds us of the lengths and breadths the LORD will go to for our salvation and life in abundance because of the LORD’s love for us.

Meditating on the text:

Do I open myself to the LORD’s power and presence? Do I allow myself to be drafted by the LORD for a role in the salvific mission? Am I responsive to the LORD’s calls to me?

Praying:

LORD, Almighty Father, Beloved Son, Most Holy Spirit, always and everywhere your love serves as a beacon calling us to You, guiding us on our journeys. Open our minds and hearts to your perpetual presence and your unfathomable power in our world and in our own lives. Make of us the daughters and sons You created us to be and long for us to be, the disciples You call us to be following in Your footsteps, and the people led by You and guided through the gifts of your wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of failing in our love for You. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.