LIVE IT TODAY: Friday, December 19, 2025
I have heard every prayer you thought had gone unanswered, and I am faithful to fulfill My promises in My time.
A single, flickering note in the soul of a homeless man on Christmas Eve gathers a community out of darkness and into light. We are delighted to share with you, The Inn Crowd — a very moving Christmas short story. Please consider partnering with us in helping the world encounter Jesus Christ in helping the world encounter Jesus Christ through this Live IT Today daily reflection, and our upcoming Live IT podcast and speaker series.
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LIVE IT TODAY: Friday, December 19, 2025
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GOD’S DECLARATION TO YOU TODAY
I have heard every prayer you thought had gone unanswered, and I am faithful to fulfill My promises in My time.
INVOCATION
Come, Holy Spirit! Through the intercession of Our Blessed Mother Mary, open my heart to hear and receive all that You desire for me. Draw me ever more deeply into the Love and Life of the Blessed Trinity!
GOSPEL | Luke 1:5–25
In the days of Herod, King of Judea,
there was a priest named Zechariah
of the priestly division of Abijah;
his wife was from the daughters of Aaron,
and her name was Elizabeth.
Both were righteous in the eyes of God,
observing all the commandments
and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly.
But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren
and both were advanced in years.
Once when he was serving as priest
in his division’s turn before God,
according to the practice of the priestly service,
he was chosen by lot
to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense.
Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside
at the hour of the incense offering,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him,
standing at the right of the altar of incense.
Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him.
But the angel said to him,
“Do not be afraid, Zechariah,
because your prayer has been heard.
Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,
and you shall name him John.
And you will have joy and gladness,
and many will rejoice at his birth,
for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.
He will drink neither wine nor strong drink.
He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb,
and he will turn many of the children of Israel
to the Lord their God.
He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah
to turn the hearts of fathers toward children
and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous,
to prepare a people fit for the Lord.”
Then Zechariah said to the angel,
“How shall I know this?
For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.”
And the angel said to him in reply,
“I am Gabriel, who stand before God.
I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news.
But now you will be speechless and unable to talk
until the day these things take place,
because you did not believe my words,
which will be fulfilled at their proper time.”
Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah
and were amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary.
But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them,
and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary.
He was gesturing to them but remained mute.
Then, when his days of ministry were completed, he went home.
After this time his wife Elizabeth conceived,
and she went into seclusion for five months, saying,
“So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit
to take away my disgrace before others.”
EVERY DAY QUESTION
What struck you? Challenged you? Inspired you? What questions did it raise?
GOING DEEPER
God’s promises ripen in silence before they are spoken aloud.
Zechariah and Elizabeth are described as righteous, faithful, obedient—and yet childless. In the ancient world, barrenness was not merely painful; it carried social shame and spiritual misunderstanding. And still, they remain faithful. This Gospel confronts the lie that unanswered prayer means forgotten prayer.
The scene unfolds at the altar of incense, the moment when Israel’s prayers symbolically rise to heaven. Luke is precise: the angel appears at the right side of the altar—the place of divine favor. God speaks not at random, but at the exact moment prayer is being offered, even when the one praying has long since adjusted to disappointment.
Zechariah’s doubt is not defiance; it is weary realism. Years have trained him to manage expectations. And yet Gabriel reveals something startling: heaven has been listening all along. Delay is not denial. Silence is not absence. God’s timing is purposeful, not cruel.
The muteness imposed on Zechariah is both correction and mercy. Words are removed so that trust can grow. In Scripture, silence often precedes revelation. God stills the voice of doubt so the heart can learn to listen again.
Notice the promise at the center of this passage: a child who will “turn the hearts of fathers toward children.” This is not incidental. God’s plan of redemption begins with the healing of family relationships. Before Christ appears publicly, He prepares the ground by restoring the domestic church.
This Gospel speaks tenderly to families carrying hidden grief—infertility, estrangement, long-standing prayers that seem unanswered. God is not late. He is forming something deeper than outcomes: resilient trust, purified hope, and hearts ready to receive joy without fear.
Parents, Advent calls you to perseverance. Do not stop praying because the answer has not yet arrived. Build a home where faith outlasts disappointment and hope is spoken even when fulfillment seems distant. Pray over your children by name in the power of the Holy Spirit, trusting that God is already at work in ways you cannot yet see.
“Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (CCC 1814)
LIFE APPLICATION QUESTIONS
In My Heart: Where have I quietly assumed that God has moved on from my prayers?
In My Home: How can we cultivate hope and trust when waiting feels long?
In My World: Who around me needs encouragement to trust God’s timing?
FAMILY LIVE IT
Make some time today to gather together and, going around, share one prayer—past or present—that has required patience and trust.
Then, one by one, pray over each person by name, asking the Holy Spirit to deepen their trust in God’s faithfulness, to free them from discouragement and the whispers of the Enemy, to strengthen them against temptation, and to fill them with joyful hope to live the Gospel each day.
Daily Challenge: Offer one long-standing intention today without trying to control the outcome—simply entrust it anew to God.
DAILY PARENT & GRANDPARENT BLESSING
LORD JESUS CHRIST, let Your holy anointing be upon each of our children, grandchildren, and godchildren this day and week, including all to whom they are called in vocation, and all future generations! In Your Sacred Name we claim them for You! We renounce all whispers, lies, and influences of the Enemy! We pray right now that each know Your loving Presence, be forged in virtue, and be flooded with an abundance of Your Holy Spirit to live fully their identity and mission in You now and through all eternity, through the intercession of our Blessed Mother! Amen.
PARENT BLESSING PROJECT: bit.ly/ParentBlessing
GOING VERTICAL
“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
Just as the vertical beam upholds the horizontal beam of the Cross, so too does undistracted, dedicated daily turning to God as our lifeblood uphold and strengthen every part of life. Start with just three minutes. Wait patiently for the breakthrough beyond the noise. Let Him speak.
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