Readings
First Reading – (Judges 13:2–7, 24–25a)
Responsorial Psalm – (Psalm 71:3–4a, 5–6ab, 16–17)
Refrain: “My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!”
Alleluia Verse
“O Root of Jesse’s stem, sign of God’s love for all his people: come to save us without delay!”
Gospel: (Luke 1:5–25)
Zechariah and Elizabeth, a righteous but childless priestly couple, receive a visitation from the angel Gabriel while Zechariah burns incense. The angel announces that Elizabeth will bear a son named John, who will be filled with the Holy Spirit, prepare Israel by turning hearts back to God, and usher in the coming Lord. Because Zechariah doubts, he is rendered mute until the prophecy’s fulfillment. Elizabeth conceives and rejoices: “The Lord has looked upon my affliction.”
Reflection
1. God’s Choice & Divine Preparation
Both readings highlight God’s sovereign selection. Samson and John the Baptist are chosen before birth to serve pivotal roles in salvation history. This reminds us that God’s plan often unfolds long before we recognize it, calling for trust and openness to how He prepares each one of us.
2. Consecration & Commitment
The call to consecration is evident: Samson is bound by the Nazirite vow; John is filled with the Holy Spirit from conception. This underscores how God forms His messengers in holiness, preparing them spiritually for mission. Even today, we are invited to consecrate ourselves through prayer, virtue, and service.
3. Faith vs. Doubt
Unlike Elizabeth, who receives blessing with belief, Zechariah doubts Gabriel’s message and becomes mute. His silence is not merely punitive; it is a call to humble trust. During Advent, we examine our own doubts and learn to respond in faith, even when God’s promises seem unlikely.
4. Mission Before Messiah
John’s role is preparatory, turning hearts back to the Lord. Advent is likewise a time of inner preparation: aligning our hearts, repenting, and making way for Christ. Samson’s deliverance role echoes the urgency and magnitude of God’s redemptive work.
5. Trust Built Across Generations
From the barren womb to miraculous conception, God weaves a narrative of faith spanning generations. As Advent stewards, we participate in an ongoing story of trust, conversion, and readiness for Emmanuel.
Spiritual Application
Recognize your preparation: What quiet stirring is God prompting in your life right now? Like Samson and John, are you being formed for a purpose you may not yet fully see?
Respond in faith: Take your doubts to prayer. Ask for clarity and trust amid uncertainty, praying with Zechariah as he later regains his voice.
Consecrate yourself daily: Small sacrifices, prayer, fasting, service, reinforce devotion and readiness for Christ’s coming.
Prepare hearts: Who around you needs encouragement or repentance? Be a voice preparing the way through compassion and witness.
Praise with conviction: Trust the psalmist’s example, your mouth, from youth onward, can overflow with praise for God’s justice, strength, and care.
Verses for Further Reflection
“Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son… he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb.” (Luke 1:13–15)
“My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!” (Psalm 71:8)
“No razor shall come upon his head… he shall begin to deliver Israel.” (Judges 13:5)
Theological Insights
Preparation before arrival: God readies His messengers, judges like Samson and prophets like John, to prepare the world for true kingship, ultimately fulfilled in Christ.
God’s promises unfold in His time: Zechariah’s muteness reflects God’s patient pedagogy, trust matures through waiting, not mere assent.
Consecration precedes mission: From the Nazirite vow to Spirit-filled infancy, holiness comes before service. We, too, are called to wholeness before mission.
God bless you,
Pal Ronnie
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