Zandro (not his real name) was a high-ranking officer in their company. He asked for life coaching and said he needed healing. He said that his biggest area of healing was the fear of public speaking. Zandro disclosed that he hadn’t spoken to his wife for 15 years. The wife had committed some grave offenses. She apologized but Zandro would not forgive her. He and his wife pretended to be OK in public gatherings for fear of losing the people’s trust. He was living a lie. No wonder he feared public speaking. 

If you keep many things secret, can you imagine how that affects your health, career, relationships, and other aspects of your life? 

One day, Zandro came face to face with his “false truth:” he believed he was inadequate. With the help of life coaching, he allowed himself to proclaim: “I am worthy!” This newly embraced truth empowered Zandro to receive God’s forgiveness. He forgave himself and his wife. And finally, for the first time in 15 years, he reached out to his wife to make amends. Edwin S. Soriano (edwin@winningcooaching.net) 

Reflect: What false “truths” (false beliefs) do you hold? How does that get in the way of receiving God’s blessings and healing? 

Lord, how liberating it is to proclaim Your truth: “I am good! I am a child of God worthy of Your love!”

St. John of Kanty, priest, pray for us.

We are God’s messengers. He relies on us to bring the Gospel to the world and to evangelize people to have faith in Him. We have experienced God’s transforming power, so we have a duty to share with others what we have received. Let us be God’s humble instrument of salvation for others.

Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24

¹ Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me; and suddenly there will come to the temple the Lord whom you seek, and the messenger of the covenant whom you desire. Yes, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. ² But who will endure the day of his coming? And who can stand when he appears? For he is like the refiner’s fire, or like the fuller’s lye. ³ He will sit refining and purifying silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, refining them like gold or like silver that they may offer due sacrifice to the Lord. ⁴ Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem will please the Lord, as in days of old, as in years gone by. ²³ Lo, I will send you Elijah, the prophet, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and terrible day, ²⁴ to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with doom. 

PSALM

Psalm 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14

R: Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.

⁴ Your ways, O Lord, make known to me; teach me your paths, ⁵ guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior. (R) ⁸ Good and upright is the Lord; thus he shows sinners the way. ⁹ He guides the humble to justice, he teaches the humble his way. (R) ¹⁰ All the paths of the Lord are kindness and constancy toward those who keep his covenant and his decrees. ¹⁴ The friendship of the Lord is with those who fear him, and his covenant, for their instruction. (R) 

GOSPEL 

Obedience is better than sacrifice—Zechariah learns this spiritual principle the hard way. After losing his speech for his lack of faith, Zechariah regains it when he affirms the name God has given his son, John. It begs the question, “Why don’t I learn from this?” Let us pray for the grace to trust God’s will. 

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

O King of all nations and keystone of the Church: come and save man, whom you formed from the dust! 

Luke 1:57-66

57 When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child, she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother said in reply, “No. He will be called John.” 61 But they answered her, “There is no one among your relatives who has this name.” 62 So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. 63 He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,” and all were amazed. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God. 65 Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. 66 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. 

Reflect: “When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.” – Proverbs 10:19

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 T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST  

Read the Bible in one year - Nahum 1-3 

A friend once invited me to pass by her house to bless the newly renovated Lourdes grotto in the garden. I arrived in her house after dinner, looking and feeling so casual in my polo and slacks, sandals, with my stole and holy water in hand, only to find out that it was a big affair: there was catering and many guests came in their semi-formal evening wear. I was embarrassed, I literally felt naked before all of them. And so I delivered a very moving one-hour homily on Our Lady of Lourdes that night to make up for being too underdressed. 

Today, we read about the birth of John the Baptist. Everyone present knew the extraordinary circumstances surrounding his birth: Zechariah was already too old, Elizabeth was not only old as well but was barren at that. Everyone felt something special was happening right before their eyes. Luke narrates that “fear descended on all the neighborhood . . . they treasured the events in their hearts . . . they wondered what would become of the child.” They felt underdressed before the mystery that unfolded before their very eyes. 

The late bishop Fulton Sheen once said that the water at Cana turned into wine because the water blushed when it saw the face of Jesus. He is right. Blushing in awe and worship is the only appropriate stance before God. Why don’t we blush anymore today? How come we attend Mass like we’re going to the gym? How come we face the Lord dressed like we’re all ready to take our afternoon siesta? How come we take Communion like we’re just receiving a wafer? How come we approach Christmas, the awesome mystery of the God who became Man, as just one among the many holidays in the calendar? 

Admit it, we have become so cavalier before God and His mysteries. It’s not that God needs our attention. He does not. We are the ones who benefit from every encounter with God. It makes us grow in grace and genuine worship. The next time you go to Mass or the adoration chapel, remind your heart who you are facing. You will surely blush in awe. Then you won’t need any artificial blush-on. Fr. Joel Jason 

Lord Jesus, never let me take You for granted. Ingrain in my consciousness a deep awareness of Your real presence in the Eucharist and in my prayers. Not for Your sake but for mine. Amen.

Today, I pray for: __________________________________________________________