He has shown mercy to our fathers; and remembered his holy Covenant,
the oath he swore to Abraham, our father, to deliver us from the enemy,
that we might serve him fearlessly, as a holy and righteous people, all the days of our lives.
And you, my child, shall be called Prophet of the Most High, for you shall go before the Lord,
to prepare the way for him, and to enable his people to know of their salvation, when he comes to forgive their sins.
This is the work of the mercy of our God, who comes from on high, as a rising sun,
shining on those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, and guiding our feet into the way of peace.”

REFLECTION:
On the day before we celebrate the birth of our Savior we join Zechariah in praise as we say
“Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel!” Who is this God of Israel?
This God of Israel is the God who is ever faithful even when Israel had time and again been unfaithful.
He is the God who remembers his Covenant even when Israel suffered from amnesia and forgot the works of the Lord.
This is the God who comes to save SINNERS.
With great reason we must rejoice with Zechariah for like Israel we have had
our own share of infidelities and forgetfulness of the mercies and blessings we have received time and again.
How blessed are we indeed to have a God who does not charge us according to
our sins but accords us mercy and heaps upon us all grace upon grace!
As Christmas comes around, we are invited to look back and see how much blessings
we have received as the year comes to an end. Like David in the first reading we may desire to do something for the Lord,
even build a house for the Lord. But God constantly reminds us, as he reminded David, it is the Lord who builds our house.
The God of Israel, the God of David, asks us to have complete trust in our God and allow Him to work in our lives.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2020