June 24 - Wednesday
Our Lady of Clos Evrard
Trier, Germany (1449)
The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist -
Solemnity
Gospel: Luke 1:57-66, 80
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| Image created by Google AI Image Creator. |
Today’s Gospel
is the birth of John the Baptist, and what stuns everyone present isn’t the
birth itself, but Zechariah, struck mute for nine months over his disbelief,
suddenly able to speak again the instant he insists, in writing and then aloud,
that the baby’s name is John, exactly as the angel commanded. Obedience
restores his voice.
We sometimes
lose our own voice the same way Zechariah did, doubting what God has clearly
told us, staying silent out of disbelief or fear, until the only way forward is
simple obedience to what we already know is true. Conviction and confidence
often return the moment we stop arguing with what God has already said.
Say the thing
you’ve been silently doubting today, the way Zechariah finally wrote “John is
his name” instead of arguing for the familiar, expected choice. Obedience
doesn’t require full understanding first; it requires saying yes to what’s
already been asked of you, trusting that clarity, even your own voice, follows
the obedience rather than preceding it.
Today, the
Marian calendar honors Our Lady of Clos Evrard in Trier, Germany. In 1449, it
was a devotion like John’s birth itself, and she prepared the way for something
greater still to come. Our Lady herself never doubted the word given to her,
even when it defied every expectation. Something to consider: What has God
already told you plainly about, and yet you have decided not to hear it? Or do
you feel the Lord is leading you down another path in life, or one you were
already on? The Lord knows our hearts better than we do. Trust in the direction
He is prompting you.
Rosary Man Jim 🌹
Freely given. Freely shared.
