Daily Gospel Reflection for December 23, 2016

Today's Gospel: Luke 1, 57-66

Elizabeth gives birth to a son, and all her relatives and neighbors are rejoicing at God’s great miracle. When it comes time to name the child, the name Zechariah is declared as the preferred choice for the boy.

But Elizabeth replies, “No, He will be called John.” She goes against custom and tradition. She listens to God. She listens to a deep knowing within herself; she listens to wisdom.

Her husband Zechariah, still unable to speak since the time he doubted the angel Gabriel in the temple, writes on a table, “John is his name.” And with that declaration, his mouth is opened and he can speak again.

All were amazed. Elizabeth and Zechariah are choosing to following God’s path and direction for their lives, and for the life of their son. They know this is God’s child, and they place him, ultimately, in the power and care of God.

In order to align our lives in harmony with God, we need to listen, deep inside of ourselves, in the core of our being, to how God is truly speaking in our lives. We need to be willing to create our lives in harmony with God.

We take courage from Elizabeth in this passage, seeing how she is willing to say, “No, He will be called John,” and by saying no, she is actually saying yes. She is trusting in how God is working in her life, and trusting that she is participating in God’s creation for her life and for the world.

Ponder:

Where do you need to say No so that you can truly say Yes to God in your life?

Pray:

Most loving God, give me the courage to hear You, to surrender with faith to what I might not understand. Show me where I need to say no, so that I can truly and faithfully say yes to You.

Colette Lafia is a San Francisco-based writer, spiritual director, workshop and retreat facilitator, and part-time school librarian. She is the author of Seeking Surrender: How a Trappist Monk Taught me to Trust and Embrace Life (Ave Maria, April 2015). Colette has a passion for helping people connect more deeply with the presence of the sacred in their daily lives and blogs about it at www.colettelafia.com.