December 23, Saturday of the Fourth Week of Advent
Daily Readings: Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24 (4:5-6); Luke 1:57-66
Today’s First Reading is taken from prophet Malachi and the very name Malachi means “my messenger” or “my angel”. He prophesied in the name of God that He would send a messenger to prepare the way before the Lord. This God will suddenly appear in His temple. He will come to rectify the corrupt state of the world.
Expressions such as “refiner’s fire,” “fullers’ soap” and that “he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver,” and “he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver” indicate that the Lord will purify the world. God will renew the world. He will transform the world. It is then the offering made in the Temple of Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord. The promise to send Elijah, the prophet points out to John the Baptiser.
The Gospel Reading narrates the Birth of John the Baptist who brought joy to the family, relatives and neighbours. St. Luke, the Evangelist recounts how Zechariah, in spite of being deaf and dumb proposed the same name that Elizabeth had earlier suggested. That is the miracle. That is why the Archangel told him that he will have to be deaf and dumb till the boy is born. Incidentally, the name John means ‘a gift of God’ or ‘given by God’. He was indeed a gift of God not only to his family and the Jewish nation but to the entire world.
Let us not forget that we too are gifts of God! Let us celebrate our giftedness!
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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