“His name is John,” are the words written by Zechariah at the time of his son’s circumcision.
Readings for today: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/122424.cfm
By Sheree Paskert

After 9 months of being silenced by God because he did not believe the angel that announced his wife’s Elizabeth’s pregnancy, Zechariah’s month was opened and he praised God. He could not have known if the words would come yet spoke them in obedience and faith with virtues that matured during those nine months of silent contemplation and at seeing the promise of God unfold. The canticle that follows those words are spoken by a priest whose knowledge of the Law has become a profession of love from his very being. And love is the perfect fulfillment of the Law.

Today the Canticle of Zechariah is prayed daily by every Catholic priest throughout the world as part of the Liturgy of the Hours.

Virtue is difficult during trials. I can’t always see God during hardship. I can reason that this can’t be His will or plan for my life. Trust doesn’t come easy. Yet because of those hardships, the faith given by my parents has matured and become my own. Zechariah tells us if we can pray and trust in all things, God will fulfill His promise to us and in us.

Happy and Blessed Christmas!

Sheree Paskert

Here we are just days away from celebrating the birth of Jesus and I wonder how uniquely each one of us got to this point.

Readings for today: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/122324.cfm

By Patty Marzilli

After experiencing two major hurricanes in 11 days just a couple of months ago, I dare say some of us have been making the usual preparations of our family traditions while others continue to pick up the pieces of what once was their lives and wonder how they will celebrate Christmas. That is the physical reality, but Advent is a faith journey, a spiritual journey, a journey filled with preparation and anticipation that rises above what we see with our eyes.

The word advent means coming or arrival and today’s readings all reflect that. The prophet Malachi tells us that the Lord will send his messenger to prepare the way before him. What an intriguing thought. Who will this messenger be, when will he get here, and how will he prepare the way for the Lord’s coming? Psalm 25 instructs us to “Lift up your heads and see…” For me, that means taking a break from the unavoidable visual of the mangled metal that used to be our pool cage and allow my soul to see. Advent is a faith journey, a spiritual journey, a journey that rises above what we see with our eyes.

Luke’s gospel introduces us to the power of a name. The angel Gabriel had appeared to the priest Zechariah and told him that his elderly, barren wife Elizabeth would give birth to a son and his name would be John; not Zechariah as was custom, but John. In his physical reality, Zechariah doubted what he heard, and he was struck dumb. When their son was born, Zechariah and Elizabeth fulfilled their faith journey and named him John, and Zechariah’s ability to speak returned to him, and he gave blessing to God. The name John means “God is gracious”. Was that the power of the name; was the act of faith in giving of the name the power; or both?

When a name is preceded by the word Hurricane, it conjures up the need to prepare for the severe weather that the forecast messenger tells us is to come. On our spiritual journey of Advent, we prepare for and anticipate the coming of our Savior Jesus Christ as foretold by the messenger John the Baptist. There is great power in the name of Jesus, the name above all names. At the mention of the name every knee shall bow, every tongue confess. Jesus himself told us, “In My Name, they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” This Advent, has your journey allowed you to lift up your head and see who is coming?

Patty Marzilli lives in Apollo Beach with her husband, Joe, and served as Administrative Assistant to Fr. John McEvoy from 2009-2019.