Daily Reflection -12/.24/2025
Sacred Scripture
Zechariah his father, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied, saying: “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; for he has come to his people and set them free. He has raised up for us a mighty Savior, born of the house of his servant David. Through his prophets he promised of old that he would save us from our enemies, from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to set us free from the hand of our enemies, free to worship him without fear, holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life. You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, to give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins. In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1:67-79)
Reflection
The Christmas season is filled with song and joy, and Scripture itself gives us two of the most profound hymns of praise: Mary’s Magnificat and Zechariah’s Benedictus. Two days ago, we heard Mary’s song of humility and exaltation. Today, we hear Zechariah’s song, beginning with the word Blessing. It is a hymn that rises out of silence, suffering, and waiting, and it proclaims the faithfulness of God.
Zechariah’s journey was not easy. Struck mute for his disbelief, he endured months of silence, unable to speak even as his wife Elizabeth carried the miraculous child within her. In that silence, he could have surrendered to despair, feeling abandoned by God. Yet he did not. He waited. He trusted. And when his tongue was finally loosed, what poured forth was not bitterness but blessing. His Benedictus is a testimony that God’s fidelity outlasts human doubt, and that suffering can become the soil in which praise blossoms.
In his song, Zechariah recognizes the prophetic mission of his newborn son, John. This child would prepare the way for the Lord, serving as the dawn that announces the rising Sun. Zechariah sees beyond the cradle to the cosmic role his son will play in salvation history. John’s life will be a herald of hope, pointing to the One who is the Light of the world. Through his words, Zechariah assures us that God is not distant but present, not absent but active, shining into the shadows of death with tender mercy.
The Benedictus speaks directly into the human condition. We all know the darkness of mortality, the shadow of death that hangs over human destiny. Yet Zechariah proclaims comfort: “Because of the tender mercy of our God, the daybreak from on high will shine on those who sit in darkness and death’s shadow.” This is the heart of the Incarnation. The birth of Jesus is not merely a sentimental story; it is God’s decisive act of entering into our humanity. He became one of us so that we might know Him as Emmanuel—God with us. He journeys with His people, not as a distant deity but as a companion in flesh and blood.
Christmas, then, is not about preparing for death but for life. Jesus comes to teach us how to truly live, to prepare us for the eternal embrace of the Father. Zechariah’s blessing reminds us that the Holy Spirit longs to give us vision, joy, and confidence in God’s merciful love. Like John, we too are called to prepare the way for Christ—in our homes, workplaces, and communities. Life is a journey, and each day we move either closer to the Lord or further away. The Lord visits us daily through His Word and Spirit, inviting us to draw nearer.
As Advent draws to its close, we are humbled by the threefold message of Zechariah’s song: God’s faithfulness, our call to prepare, and the promise of life. The tender child in Bethlehem will grow to liberate us from sin, and each day we are invited to embody His destiny by showing Christ in our actions. Christmas formalizes this invitation, beckoning us to take another step closer to God. The question remains: will we accept?
Prayer of The Day
“Lord Jesus, you have been gracious and merciful towards your people. Fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may bear witness to the joy of the Gospel to those around me.”
Daily Note
More beautiful or poignant words have never been spoken to foretell the ultimate event in all of human history–God becoming man and entering the world so as to die for our salvation. Only a God with unfathomable “merciful compassion” would humble himself to the point of taking human flesh and “become obedient to death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:8)
But come He did on a cold December night almost 2025 years ago. Though He came as a helpless babe born in a shed, the dawning light he would shine on the world sitting in darkness could not be contained, allowing each of us the chance to become partakers in God’s divine nature. “God became a man so that following a man–something you are able to do–you might reach God, which was formerly impossible to you.” (St. Augustine)
