June 24, 2016 - Friday

So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.
He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,” and all were amazed.
Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God.
Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea.
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. (Luke 1:62-66 NABRE)

When a baby is born, we start imagining what sort of adult he or she will become.

For the neighbors of John--who witnessed his elderly father, Zechariah (who had been made mute because he did not believe Gabriel's prediction of John's birth), lose and then be given back his speech--for them, this question was asked with fear because they realized, as a result of what had been done to Zechariah, that the hand of the Lord was with John.

They knew John was destined for something important.

The same can be said for each of us, for we all play a unique role in salvation history. The hand of the Lord is with each of us. And so, the question really becomes, how will we respond? Will we respond as John did, with courage and conviction? Or will we avoid a response out of fear, pride, greed, or some other worldly distraction?

Let each one of us embrace our important destiny by responding to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.


Today, on this Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, I will surrender myself to dependence on God to do with me as he wills.


Saint John the Baptist, whose example challenges us Christians to the fundamental attitude of Christianity—total dependence on the Father, in Christ, pray for us.

Source: http://www.catholic.org/