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Gospel: Luke 1: 57-66
When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child
she gave birth to a son.
Her neighbors and relatives heard
that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her,
and they rejoiced with her.
When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child,
they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,
but his mother said in reply,
“No. He will be called John.”
But they answered her,
“There is no one among your relatives who has this name.”
So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.
He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,”
and all were amazed.
Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,
and he spoke blessing God.
Then fear came upon all their neighbors,
and all these matters were discussed
throughout the hill country of Judea.
All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,
“What, then, will this child be?”
For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Mark Twain once said, “The two most important days in your life are the day you were born…and the day you know why.”
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In today’s Gospel, we celebrate the birth of John the Baptist. From the moment of his birth, people were wondering, “What will this child be?”
Why was he born?
They knew John had a divine purpose. But they’d have to wait another thirty years to find out what it was.
Eventually, John would build up God’s kingdom, leading thousands of people to Jesus.
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John reminds us we all have a destiny, a divine purpose for our lives. Part of our life is spent finding that purpose.
And the rest is spent living it out.
In my own case, I know I was born to be a priest. Thirty-five years ago, while the Lord was knitting me together in my mother’s womb, he was also planting the seed of a calling – a call to love and serve his people.
How grateful I am to have found my purpose, and to share that with the people of Saint Pius X.
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But what about you? Have you found your “why?”
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“I know well the plans I have for you,” says the Lord through the prophet Jeremiah. If you’ve found your way, then keep going. Give thanks to God for his guidance.
If, on the other hand, you’re still searching for your calling, or if you feel like you’ve lost your way, then turn to the Lord for help.
So long as we wake here on planet earth, God has a purpose for our lives. No minute is wasted.
Although the details may vary, we know this: like John the Baptist, somehow every life is meant to draw others closer to Jesus.
How might I do that today?
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