REFLECTION FOR TODAY
O Sacred Heart of Jesus! I fly to Thee, I unite myself with Thee, I enclose myself to Thee! Receive this, my call for help, O my Saviour, as a sign of my horror of all within me contrary to Thy Holy Love. Let me rather die a thousand times than consent! Be Thou my Strength, O God: defend me, protect me. I am thine, and desire forever to be Thine!
-- St Margaret Mary Alocoque
READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Judges 13:2-7, 24-25
2 At that time there was a man named Manoah from the town of Zorah. He was a member of the tribe of Dan. His wife had never been able to have children.
3 The Lord's angel appeared to her and said, “You have never been able to have children, but you will soon be pregnant and have a son.
4 Be sure not to drink any wine or beer, or eat any forbidden food;5 and after your son is born, you must never cut his hair, because from the day of his birth he will be dedicated to God as a nazirite. He will begin the work of rescuing Israel from the Philistines.”
6 Then the woman went and told her husband, “A man of God has come to me, and he looked as frightening as the angel of God. I didn't ask him where he came from, and he didn't tell me his name.
7 But he did tell me that I would become pregnant and have a son. He told me not to drink any wine or beer, or eat any forbidden food, because the boy is to be dedicated to God as a nazirite as long as he lives.”
24 The woman gave birth to a son and named him Samson. The child grew and the Lord blessed him.
25 And the Lord's power began to strengthen him while he was between Zorah and Eshtaol in the Camp of Dan.
Psalms: Psalm 71:3-6, 16-17
3 Be my secure shelter and a strong fortress to protect me; you are my refuge and defense.
4 My God, rescue me from wicked people, from the power of cruel and evil people.
5 Sovereign Lord, I put my hope in you; I have trusted in you since I was young.
6 I have relied on you all my life; you have protected me since the day I was born. I will always praise you.
16 I will go in the strength of the Lord God; I will proclaim your goodness, yours alone.
17 You have taught me ever since I was young, and I still tell of your wonderful acts.
Gospel: Luke 1:5-25
(The Birth of John the Baptist Is Announced)
5 During the time when Herod was king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife's name was Elizabeth; she also belonged to a priestly family.
6 They both lived good lives in God's sight and obeyed fully all the Lord's laws and commands.
7 They had no children because Elizabeth could not have any, and she and Zechariah were both very old.
8 One day Zechariah was doing his work as a priest in the Temple, taking his turn in the daily service.
9 According to the custom followed by the priests, he was chosen by lot to burn incense on the altar. So he went into the Temple of the Lord,
10 while the crowd of people outside prayed during the hour when the incense was burned.
11 An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar where the incense was burned.
12 When Zechariah saw him, he was alarmed and felt afraid.
13 But the angel said to him, “Don't be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son. You are to name him John.
14 How glad and happy you will be, and how happy many others will be when he is born!
15 John will be great in the Lord's sight. He must not drink any wine or strong drink. From his very birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit,
16 and he will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.
17 He will go ahead of the Lord, strong and mighty like the prophet Elijah. He will bring fathers and children together again; he will turn disobedient people back to the way of thinking of the righteous; he will get the Lord's people ready for him.”
18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know if this is so? I am an old man, and my wife is old also.”
19 “I am Gabriel,” the angel answered. “I stand in the presence of God, who sent me to speak to you and tell you this good news.
20 But you have not believed my message, which will come true at the right time. Because you have not believed, you will be unable to speak; you will remain silent until the day my promise to you comes true.”
21 In the meantime the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he was spending such a long time in the Temple.
22 When he came out, he could not speak to them, and so they knew that he had seen a vision in the Temple. Unable to say a word, he made signs to them with his hands.
23 When his period of service in the Temple was over, Zechariah went back home.
24 Some time later his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and did not leave the house for five months.
25 “Now at last the Lord has helped me,” she said. “He has taken away my public disgrace!”
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