Thursday December 19, 2024

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Faith is a gift from the Holy Spirit. Trust, however, is a choice.

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Good News Reflection for:

Thursday of the 3rd week of Advent
December 19, 2024

Today’s Prayer:

Jesus, may Your Holy Spirit fill all my life with joy and may that joy abundantly reach all the people around me. Amen.

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Today’s Readings:

Judges 13:2-7, 24-25a
Ps 71:3-4a,5-6ab,16-17 (with 8)
Luke 1:5-25
bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121924.cfm
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
bible.usccb.org/podcasts/audio/daily-mass-reading-podcast-december-19-2024

Choosing to trust God increases faith

Today’s first reading and the Gospel tell us the stories of two holy families who had the same experience of receiving an unexpected child. Both stories are similar to what happened to a third family, the Holy Family.

In each case, an angel announced the good news to the would-be parents. In each case, sons were given to women who had never been pregnant before. In each case, the Spirit of the Lord descended upon the boys and anointed them for special ministries.

Because of the barrenness of Samson’s and John’s mothers, the parents had to make the decision to trust God and believe in the promised miracle. Mary and Joseph had to trust God for the same reason. Let’s take a closer look at how each of them trusted.

Samson’s parents simply accepted what the angel said and proceeded from there. Verse 8 is very telling: Manoah, the dad, upon hearing from his wife what the angel had said, immediately turned to God and prayed, “Teach us how to raise this boy who will be born.”

Not only did he trust the good news without hesitation, but he moved quickly into seeking and trusting in the guidance that God could provide.

Zechariah, despite being a priest and knowing well the story of Samson’s birth, wanted proof that what the angel said was true. He asked, “How am I to know this?” For his lack of trust, he was made mute until the child was born.

Mary asked a similar question of the angel, but with complete trust. She said, “How can this be, since I am still a virgin?” She did not demand proof. She was not asking to “know this.” She simply accepted the angel’s words that she would become pregnant.

For her, it was only a question of how it would – not how it could – happen, which was a healthy curiosity, containing no doubts.

It’s okay to ask “how?” when God gives us surprising news or when he calls us to a vocation or a task that doesn’t make sense to us. Each one of us has a special mission – in the workplace, in the parish, at home, in the community.

Ask the Holy Spirit how God wants you to proceed in making a difference for his kingdom in these places. Let’s not demand proof that God is really calling us to have a mission.

Faith is a gift from the Holy Spirit. Trust, however, is a choice. Choose to trust Jesus in whatever mission he’s assigned to you in the mission field where you already find yourself encountering other people, and your faith will increase.

Then, pray for an understanding of how to do what he’s asking.

Trust is not based on feeling certain or secure. It’s based on believing that God is God and therefore can do everything he plans to accomplish – yes, even through you!

To help you reflect further on this, go to our WordByte called: “How can you be sure what is God’s will” @ https://wordbytes.org/master-needs-you/what-is-gods-will/

© by Terry A. Modica, Good News Ministries

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