TODAY'S WORD
By
Fr. Aloysius Santiago sdb
Rector and Parish Priest
Don Bosco Shrine
Lingarajapuram, Bangalore
His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them."
(Luke 1: 67-68)
TODAY'S REFLECTION
We may have all our plans laid out in our minds and then carry them out like clock-work.
In the 1st reading, David too had some plans in his mind, and the prophet Nathan supported his plans.
But that very night, the word of the Lord come to Nathan, and hence David's plans will have to change.
As we come to the final day of the preparations to celebrate the birth of our Saviour, let this evening be a silent and holy night.
The Lord come to visit us with His blessings of peace and joy.
If and when things don't go according to plan, then we have to trust in the Lord that He has better plans for us.
God's plan for us are always for our good and for our salvation.
Today's Gospel, in the midst of dark and cloudy moments, Zechariah sings the “Benedictus” – a Song of Blessing!
A child had been born…
… signaling the Coming of the Messiah.
John the Baptist ushered in a period of singing praises and glory to the Lord.
Like a drop of fresh water in the deserted land…
Like a gleam of light in the midst of thick darkness…
Like a faint melodious tune in the thick of deep silence…
The life of Zechariah and Elizabeth was favoured with reasons to sing blessings to God!
It’s interesting to analyse the names of this simple yet wonderful family – Zechariah, Elizabeth and John.
Zechariah means ” God (Yahweh) remembers”
Elizabeth means “the promise of God”
John means ” God (Yahweh) is gracious”
Yes, God remembers His promise, and thus shows that He is gracious!
Our lives may often be in darkness or undergoing a night of dryness…
Our lives may seem to be devoid of true peace and happiness…
Our lives may be rendered meaningless or hopeless…
Yet, Zechariah, Elizabeth and John invite us today, to sing a song of Blessing to God!
When we live in God’s love, we can sing the chorus of service!
When we trust in God’s providence, we can sing the chorus of joy!
When we hope in God’s mercies, we can sing the chorus of faithfulness!
With the armour of faith, the shield of hope and the sword of love, let us join Zechariah and Family to sing our Hymn of Blessing to God Yahweh!
Blessed be the Lord, for He is challenging in His gentle inspirations!
Blessed be the Lord, for He is merciful in His Divine Compassion!
Blessed be the Lord, for He is generous in the Blessed Eucharist!
Blessed be the Lord, for He is majestic in His Holy Sacraments!
Blessed be the Lord, for He is faithful in His gracious promises!
Blessed be the Lord, for He is vibrant in His Holy Church!
On this eve of Christmas, let us fervently prepare our hearts – in holiness and sanctity – to prepare a beautiful crib for our Blessed Lord, Who comes as a Babe…in our hearts, in our lives
and in our homes!
As we finally come to the day that we are waiting for, we may have a few things that we want to do for this evening as well as for the day after.
*RESOLUTION*
Let us make every effort to make this evening be a silent and holy night so that Jesus will guide our feet into the way of peace and that the celebration of His birth will truly bring joy to our hearts.
Let's become the crib where Jesus will be born so to spread the joy of Christmas to all the people that we meet today.
God bless your day, so to prepare for his coming.