Tuesday in the Fourth Week of Advent

Gospel:  LK 1:67-79

Zechariah his father, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied, saying:

“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
for he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty Savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hand of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Reflection

This passage from today’s Gospel from Luke is always recited daily during morning prayer at the liturgy of the hours.

This passage reminds us of God’s faithfulness to His people in fulfilling the covenant he made to Abraham.  He never forgets His people even though how many times His people have turned away.

As we approach the Christmas season, we hear about the stories of how the promise of God comes to fulfillment in the person of Jesus Christ.  We marvel at God’s extravagant love unfolding through the Gospel stories.  John the baptist plays an important role as he prepares for the coming of Jesus.

Like John, we too are prophets of the Most High.  We are asked to pave the way of the Lord and speak the truth of God’s love and forgiveness.   Specially in the world we live in now where we hear the horrors of violence and negativity with much frequency, the message of God’s love needs to get through the darkness.

May the message of Christmas resonate with all of us and bring healing to the world.

Prayer for Peace

We pray for the power to be gentle;
the strength to be forgiving;
the patience to be understanding;
and the endurance to accept the consequences
of holding on to what we believe to be right.

May we put our trust in the power of good to overcome evil
and the power of love to overcome hatred.

We pray for the vision to see and the faith to believe
in a world emancipated from violence,
a new world where fear shall no longer lead men or women to commit injustice,
nor selfishness make them bring suffering to others.

Help us to devote our whole life and thought and energy
to the task of making peace,
praying always for the inspiration and the power
to fulfill the destiny for which we and all men and women were created.

– Author Unknown, Offered by Beth Amyot

Rev. Fr. Geety Reyes, FCM

Associate Pastor – St. Francis of Assisi American National Catholic Church

 

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