Daily Gospel Reflection for December 19, 2018

Today's Gospel: Luke 1:5-25 "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard” (Luke 1 5:13) Imagine hearing those words spoken by the Angel Gabriel but instead, it was your name, and your heart’s desire was to going to be granted. What would you ask? How long would you pray for this prayer intention if you knew God would give it to you? In life, it is easy to dwell on the things we don’t think God has provided for us, and yet, every day He is faithful to us and is offering us graces for conversion and Christian joy. John the Baptist brought not only joy to his parents but fulfilled a great mission God had for him to prepare the way for Jesus. As parents, so often we can feel overwhelmed by our duties and daily responsibilities it is easy to forget to trust in the Lord and His plan for our life. Growing in holiness can be difficult, and we can easily doubt God’s plan like Zechariah did when the angel appeared to him. We must remember that in our weakness, Christ can use us as His witnesses, for we must rely on his grace for strength. Being Catholic is not about being perfect, but growing in perfection thanks to the grace of our Lord. This time of year is a time to pause and reflect on the Lord and what He has done in our life, and ask the Lord to open our heart to see the will of God unfolding in our life.

Ponder:

Do I bring my prayer intentions to the Lord and believe that they are heard?

Pray:

Dear Lord, please open my mind and heart to Your will and allow me to seek out new graces to better live out my Catholic faith. May I turn to Jesus for strength and guidance. Amen