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Quote of the Day "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks before me, for he was before me.' I myself did not know him; but for this I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel." — John The Baptist (John 1:29-31)
Today's Meditation "F"Oh, how painful it is to Me that souls so seldom unite themselves to Me in Holy Communion. I wait for souls, and they are indifferent toward Me. I love them tenderly and sincerely, and they distrust Me. I want to lavish My graces on them, and they do not want to accept them. They treat Me as a dead object, whereas My Heart is full of love and mercy. In order that you may know at least some of My pain, imagine the most tender of mothers who has great love for her children, while those children spurn her love. Consider her pain. No one is in a position to console her. This is but a pale image and likeness of My love." —Jesus to St. Faustina Kowalska, 1447
Daily Verse "Now the time came for Elizabeth to be delivered, and she gave birth to a son. And her neighbors and kinsfolk heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they would have named him Zechari′ah after his father, but his mother said, 'Not so; he shall be called John.' And they said to her, 'None of your kindred is called by this name.' And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he would have him called. And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, 'His name is John.' And they all marveled. And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea; and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, 'What then will this child be?' For the hand of the Lord was with him." — Luke 1:57-66 | Nativity Of John The Baptist A family relation of Jesus, St. John the Baptist is called "the Forerunner" because he was sent by God to "prepare the way of the Lord" ahead of Jesus' public ministry. The birth of St. John the Baptist to his elderly and previously barren parents, Zechariah and Elizabeth, is recorded in St. Luke's Gospel. His birth was announced to his father Zechariah by the Archangel Gabriel, who also brought the news of Christ's birth to the Blessed Virgin Mary. John the Baptist's nativity is one of only three birthdays celebrated by the Church, along with the nativities of Jesus and Mary. Though not an official dogma, according to ancient tradition St. John the Baptist was freed from original sin at the moment his mother heard the greeting of the Blessed Virgin at the Visitation, causing John to leap in his mother's womb through the action of the Holy Spirit. So, like Jesus and Mary, St. John would have been born without sin, and therefore his birthday is also worthy of special honor. Because Christ praised John the Baptist so highly by saying "Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist," he was one of the most highly venerated saints in the ancient and medieval Church. He has two feasts: his nativity on June 24th and his passion on August 29th. | Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist Mass during the Day
Lectionary: 587 Reading I Isaiah 49:1-6 Hear me, O coastlands, listen, O distant peoples.
The LORD called me from birth, from my mother's womb he gave me my name.
He made of me a sharp-edged sword and concealed me in the shadow of his arm.
He made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me.
You are my servant, he said to me, Israel, through whom I show my glory. Though I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength,
yet my reward is with the LORD, my recompense is with my God.
For now the LORD has spoken who formed me as his servant from the womb,
that Jacob may be brought back to him and Israel gathered to him;
and I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD, and my God is now my strength!
It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel;
I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 139:1b-3, 13-14ab, 14c-15 R. (14) I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
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. R. I praise you for I am wonderfully made.
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. R. I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
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. R. I praise you, for I am wonderfully made. Reading II Acts 13:22-26 In those days, Paul said:
"God raised up David as king;
of him God testified,
I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart;
he will carry out my every wish.
From this 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.' "My brothers, sons of the family of Abraham,
and those others among you who are God-fearing,
to us this word of salvation has been sent." Alleluia See Luke 1:76 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
You, child, will be called prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Luke 1:57-66, 80 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.
The child grew and became strong in spirit,
and he was in the desert until the day
of his manifestation to Israel. | Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Isaiah 49:1-6 The Lord called me. (Isaiah 49:1) Today we celebrate the birth of a great hero—John the Baptist, the herald of the Messiah. Unlike the ancient Roman heralds, John didn't travel the land announcing royal proclamations or engaging in diplomacy. Rather, he remained on the outskirts, in the desert of Judea, where the people flocked to him. And instead of speaking for Herod, the king, he spoke against him, calling him to repent (Luke 3:19). Still, John was the perfect herald because he spoke for the Lord. He called the entire people of Israel to prepare for the arrival of their true King (Mark 1:2-4). He engaged with people from all walks of life and explained what it would look like for them to repent (Luke 3:10-14). And like a faithful herald, he knew that he was only a messenger; the One he was heralding was on the horizon (John 3:22-30). Your own Baptism calls you to be a herald of Jesus, just as John was. That means that today's first reading applies to you just as much as it applied to him: "The Lord has spoken who formed me as his servant from the womb" (Isaiah 49:5). God has formed you into the person you are, and he has called you to announce the presence of his Son! So how can you be a herald of the Lord? Consider the day ahead of you. Picture the people you are likely to encounter today. Will you have any opportunities to share your faith with them—through your words or your witness? Ask the Spirit to be present in your conversations with them, maybe to spark a deeper hunger for Christ in them or to open a door that you might be able to walk through with them. Then, as you interact with people, remember what you asked the Lord to help you do. As you stay alert to the Spirit, you will sense his guidance. Whether you are heading into a stressful meeting, running errands, or managing family responsibilities, you can have confidence that God has called you to be his herald. Even if Jesus' coming into those interactions is quiet or hidden, it is no less momentous. So take inspiration from John the Baptist, and embrace your mission! "Jesus, help me to be your herald today!" Psalm 139:1-3, 13-15
Acts 13:22-26
Luke 1:57-66, 80 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Hear AI Read it for u | From today's Holy Gospel: "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.
The child grew and became strong in spirit,
and he was in the desert until the day
of his manifestation to Israel........" end quote. | From Bishop Barron:
"Friends, today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist. From time immemorial, God has sent messengers, prophets, and spokespersons. Think of that whole line of prophets and the patriarchs of Israel.
John the Baptist sums up all of these figures. In the Gospel of John, the Baptist identifies himself as "the voice of one crying out in the desert, 'Make straight the way of the Lord.'" The point John makes is that Jesus is not just one more biblical figure. He's something altogether different—not just a speaker of the Word but the Word himself.
We are destined for union with the Word of God, but we don't get it. Why do we run after everything but Christ? Because there's something seriously off-kilter in us. But here's the good news from John's Gospel: "To those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God."
We can't grasp this on our own. God must lift us up. The Word of God, with God from the beginning, does not remain in splendid isolation. It comes down, joins us, and lifts us up. That is the essence of the Christian message." end quote.
Today is the day we celebrate a birthday! Who? Saint John the Baptist, the cousin relative of Jesus our Lord and our God.
Saint John grew up as perhaps the only child of Zechariah, who was muted for not believing the angel in the temple that he and his wife would have a baby, even though they were old.
Who else was laughing at God about having a baby in their old age? Isaac, the child of Abraham, the father of nations. Isaac would be the miracle child that ushered in what was to come in God's plan. And in this prophetic lineage, we have John, to Zechariah and wife tracing back to Aaron, which is traced back to Jacob, which is traced back to Abraham and his wife. God proves himself again in the prophets that speak for God through this lineage, the announcers for thousands of years, they announce God's word and what is coming. They were a lineage of priests.
Today, we have priests still, in this same line but, connected to Jesus, who comes from the lineage of priests, BUT, He is also connected to the lineage of Kings, tracing back to King David and beyond. Our Lord, in Eucharistic miracles, His blood is tested and the DNA proves there is only an X chromosome, missing the additional X or Y chromosome which is given by the earthly Father.
In this same way, mingled with Heaven and Earth, our Lord Jesus is proven to be the Highest Priest and King from God in Heaven.
We are baptized as priests, prophets, and kings.
We have people that are announcing the news of God's Kingdom day in an day out, many who of whom are risking their lives to give witness to the Kingdom of God.
How about you and me? Can we celebrate this Heavenly Birthday today by risking our all like Saint John the Baptist? Growing in strength and wisdom and grace in God's Holy Will? |  audio | Random Bible Verse 1
Acts 20:35 35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
