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 child grew and became strong in spirit,and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel.
REFLECTION
“John is his name,”
For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.
We all know the worries, sadness and loss one feels when we desire something so badly and yet our answer is "No" or "Not yet". Zechariah and Elizabeth were beyond the age of having a baby; therefore, their message that they were to have a baby was surrounded by wonder and mystery. God had listened to their prayers and had not forgotten them. They were blessed with a son whose mission was like no other--to prepare the way for the Messiah.
We know the circumstances of Zechariah being mute during his wife's pregnancy. He had doubted the angel's message. Elizabeth insisted the baby's name would be John and Zechariah confirmed it by writing down -- "John is his name". At that moment Zechariah's speech was restored, and everyone recognized that God was at work. Everyone knew this was a special baby and his role in life would unfold over the years John became the voice crying out in the wilderness, calling people to repentance and preparing hearts for Jesus Christ.
John the Baptist embraced the mission God had prepared for him. His very name, given by God, reflected a divine purpose. But this is not where the story ends, as we all know that we have all been called by God and entrusted to a unique vocation(s). We may not fully understand God's plan, or even have a clue as to what it is, but we are invited to trust that "the hand of the Lord" is upon us as well. Again trusting in the faithfulness of God is of utmost importance.
John's life teaches humility. He constantly pointed others toward Christ, saying, "He must increase; I must decrease." And we who are called by God, need to understand that true greatness in God's kingdom is found not in drawing attention to ourselves but in helping others encounter Jesus.
We pray for priests in our apostolate: Priests Always Prayer Apostolate (PAPA), not drawing attention to ourselves, but praying to see priests on fire for Jesus and His Church, the Body and Bride of Christ. Every faithful priest is called to imitate John's mission—to prepare hearts for Christ, preach the truth with courage, and lead souls to Jesus rather than to himself. Our prayers support priests in this sacred work, asking that they may always be courageous heralds of the Gospel, and that we be dutiful missionaries bringing more people to pray for priests.
For those interested in PAPA and joining, please notify us at papa@papamio.org and one of us will answer your request. You can live on the other side of the world, and still be a PAPA member. Our sole purpose for PAPA is to pray for priests and recruit all to pray for priests by any necessary means.
Do we recognize God's hand at work in our lives? Are we willing to embrace the mission God has chosen for us? Will others go to Christ after encountering us by our words and actions? Let us prepare a path for Jesus to enter the hearts of those we meet by praying for ourselves and our apostolate as well.
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