December 24, 2014
The Birth of John
A reading from the Gospel of Saint 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.
We are now at the door of the great Feast of Christmas. John the Baptist was born six months before Jesus and we know that Mary, Jesus’ Mother, was present at John’s birth. She left there soon after the child was born. Well I think most of you are all ready for the big feast. I am invited over to my sister’s home next door for a Christmas meal. There will be a great celebration tomorrow night in our church with the choir singing Christmas hymns before the Mass begins. Many people are expected at church for the night Mass but it seems we will have rain during the night.
Below you will find the message of Our Lord and Savior given to Father Melvin. Jesus spoke to him these words,
“Be full of joy My brother Melvin and all My brothers and sisters who are celebrating My Great Feast of Christmas this year. The great prophet, John the Baptist, was born six months before Me. My Mother while She was carrying Me in Her womb, went and spent three months with Her cousin to help her in her last months of pregnancy. Indeed it was a great day when John was born. Although Elizabeth was old, this was her first child and he came through an intervention by Our Heavenly Father. Zechariah had been told when the angel appeared to him in the Temple in Jerusalem that his wife would have a child in her old age and his name was to be John. So when he was circumcised, they gave him the name of John. At that moment Zechariah who had been mute for over nine months began to speak. He had a prophecy about his son John that he was to be the prophet of the Most High for he was to go before the Lord to prepare His ways. John was to call the people to repent of their sins and to be baptized with the baptism of repentance in order to prepare their hearts for My coming as your Lord and Savior. John in his manhood worked hard and he was the one who baptized Me in the Jordan River and then he pointed Me out to the people as the Messiah that was expected. John played a great role at the beginning of My public life. I thank him for all he did and he is now with Me in heaven. I bless you all.”
Father Melvin
P.S. May the Lord bless you all on His great Feast of Christmas.