Son of Zacharias and Elisabeth
He baptised in the Jordan River and preached a baptism of repentance
Invitation
May I hereby draw your attention to
the daily reading of the Gospel?
This invitation wants to share with you the joy of the Gospel.
of the Gospel. Everyone, no one excepted,
can experience that joy by opening their hearts
to the healing power of God’s word.
Available every day
Consideration
The birth of John the Baptist is a feast day for the Church. The strange things surrounding his birth show us how important this prophet must have been. His mother, Elisabeth, bore the shame of infertility. God brought a reversal in this. His father, Zacharias, an old priest,was dumbfounded when news of the arrival of a child was reported to him. John received his name first of all through his mother, something that went against all customary practice. This whole sequence of events is thought-provoking and indicates: this child will play an important role in the history of salvation.
FIRST READING Isa 49:1-6
I appoint you to be the light of the Gentiles.
From the Prophet Isaiah
Listen to me, islands,
prick up your ears, peoples from afar:
The Lord has called me from my mother’s womb,
from my mother’s womb He has called my name.
He has made my mouth a cutting sword,
with the shadow of His hand He has covered me.
He made me a sharpened arrow,
and in His quiver He hath secured me.
He spoke to me :
“My servant art thou,
Israel in whom I will glorify Me.”
And I said :
“In vain have I tarried,
my strength ends in emptiness and wind,
but my right is with the Lord,
and my reward with my God.”
Now, however, the Lord spoke
Who formed me into His servant from the mother’s womb,
to bring Jacob back to Him
and that Israel might be gathered before Him.
I am glorified in the eyes of the Lord,
and my God is my strength.
He spoke :
“It is too little that thou art my servant ,
to raise up Jacob’s tribes
and bring back the spared of Israel.
I appoint thee to be the light of the heathen nations
To be my salvation to the ends of the earth.”
Interludium Ps. 139(138), 1-3, 13-14, 15
I thank You, Lord, for the miracle of my life.
Thou knowest me, Lord, and Thou seest me through,
Thou seest me where I go or stand.
From afar Thou knowest my thoughts,
Thou knowest why I am working or resting.
For what is in me Thou hast created,
Thou hast formed me like a tissue
formed in the mother’s womb.
I thank Thee for the miracle of my life,
for all the wonders Thou hast made.
Thou also knowest all that goes on in my spirit,
my innermost being is not hidden from Thee.
When I was secretly brought forth,
my threads of life were woven in the womb.
SECOND READING Acts 13:22-26
John was preaching even before the appearance of Christ.
From the Acts of the Apostles
In those days Paul said :
“After God had rejected Saul
He raised David to be king of the people of Israel.
“Of this one He gave testimony :
I have found David, the son of Isaï,
a man after my own heart
who will accomplish my will in all things.
“From his descendants God has
according to promise
brought forth for Israel a Saviour,
Jesus ;
after already John before his appearance
had preached a baptism of repentance
to all the people of Israel.
“When John was at the end of his career he said:
What you think I am
am not I;
but after me comes one
whose shoes I am not worthy to loosen.
“Men, brothers,
sons of Abraham’s generation and God-fearing among you :
To us is this word of salvation sent.”
ALLELUIA Lk. 1, 76
Alleluia.
Thou, child,
prophet of the Most High shalt thou be called,
for thou shalt precede the Lord
And thou shalt prepare his ways.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Lk. 1, 57-66.80
John is his name.
From the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Luke
At that time the moment arrived for Elisabeth
that she became a mother;
she gave birth to a son.
When the neighbours and the family heard
how great was the mercy
the Lord had shown to her,
they shared in her joy.
On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child
and they wanted to name it after his father Zacharias.
But his mother replied:
‘Nay, it must be called John.’
They answered her:
‘But there is no one in your family called that.’
With gestures, they then asked his father
what he wanted to call it.
The latter asked for a writing tablet and wrote on it:
‘John he will be called.’
They all stood amazed.
Immediately afterwards his mouth was opened,
his tongue loosened
and he proclaimed God’s praise.
Awe filled all the surrounding people
and throughout the mountainous land of Judea
all the events were told around.
Everyone who heard it thought about it and wondered:
‘What will become of this child?’
For the hand of the Lord was with him.
The child grew up and the Spirit controlled him more and more.
He stayed in the desert
until the day when he showed himself to Israel in public.
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To be continued.
Every morning at 1 am
The Bible text in this issue is taken from The New Bible Translation,
©Dutch Bible Society 2004/2007.
Considerations from Liturgical suggestions for weekdays and Sundays
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