Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

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.
When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child,
they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,
but his mother said in reply,
“No. He will be called John.”
But they answered her,
“There is no one among your relatives who has this name.”
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 1:57-66, 80

Dear Father you gave us John to prepare the way for your Son. We read of the silence of a man who doubted and upon doing your will by naming him John received his voice. But he did the most spectacular thing, he blessed God and praised him when he could speak. The Lord our God gave this family a role to play for ages to come. To show the goodness of the Lord and to help us see the life of the chosen one's he calls by name to do his will. May we also prepare ourselves as John was chosen to prepare the way for Jesus' coming. We in our time have Jesus with us always in the Eucharist, let us seek reconciliation in the confessionals of our Churches as a way of purifying our hearts for the Lord. Amen