LIVE IT TODAY: Wednesday, June 24, 2026 | Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
I have not forgotten you. Even in seasons of waiting, I am preparing blessings, purposes, and possibilities beyond what you can presently see.
LIVE IT TODAY: Wednesday, June 24, 2026 | Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
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GOD’S DECLARATION TO YOU TODAY
I have not forgotten you. Even in seasons of waiting, I am preparing blessings, purposes, and possibilities beyond what you can presently see.
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 1:5-17
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.
John 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 their hearts toward their children
and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous,
to prepare a people fit for the Lord.”
EVERY DAY QUESTION
What struck you? Challenged you? Inspired you? What questions did it raise?
GOING DEEPER
God is often doing His greatest work while we are still waiting for answers.
What prayer, hope, dream, or longing have you carried for so long that you may have begun to wonder whether God has forgotten?
Zechariah and Elizabeth were good people. Scripture goes out of its way to tell us they were righteous, faithful, and obedient. Yet they carried a profound disappointment. They had no child, and now they were advanced in years. Their story reminds us that faithfulness does not exempt us from seasons of waiting, confusion, or unfulfilled desires.
How many people know that feeling? We pray for healing that does not come. We pray for reconciliation that remains unresolved. We pray for a child, a spouse, a vocation, a breakthrough, a conversion, a direction, or an opportunity. As time passes, it becomes tempting to assume the answer is no—or worse, that God is absent.
Yet today’s Gospel reveals something remarkable. The angel does not say, “God has finally noticed your prayer.” He says, “Your prayer has been heard.” In other words, God was listening all along. The waiting was never evidence of abandonment. God was preparing something larger than Zechariah could imagine.
The child promised to Elizabeth would not merely bring joy to his parents. He would prepare the way for the Messiah. John the Baptist would become one of the most important figures in salvation history. What appeared to be a personal disappointment was actually part of a much larger divine story.
This truth challenges our tendency to evaluate God solely through immediate outcomes. We often want explanations. God frequently offers trust. We want timetables. God invites surrender. We want clarity about the future. God offers enough light for the next step. Faith grows when we learn to trust the goodness of God even when we cannot yet see His plan.
The angel’s description of John is also deeply instructive. John’s mission was not self-promotion but preparation. His life would point beyond himself to Christ. Every Christian shares that same vocation. We are called to help prepare hearts for the Lord through our words, witness, prayers, sacrifices, and love.
This message is especially important within family life. Parents and grandparents often carry long-term prayers for their children and grandchildren. Some of those prayers seem unanswered for years. Build saint-forming homes by refusing to lose hope. Pray over your spouse and children by name. Call daily upon the Holy Spirit. Trust that God is working even when you cannot yet see the fruit. The same God who heard Zechariah’s prayer hears yours as well.
“Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the Kingdom of Heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises.” (CCC 1817)
LIFE APPLICATION QUESTIONS
In My Heart: What prayer or longing am I most tempted to stop entrusting to God?
In My Home: How can our family encourage one another to persevere in hope?
In My World: How might God be calling me to prepare the way for Christ in someone else’s life?
FAMILY LIVE IT
Make some time today to gather together and, going around, share a prayer that took a long time to be answered—or one that you are still waiting on today.
Then pray over each person by name. Ask God to strengthen their hope, deepen their trust, and help them persevere through every season of waiting. Pray that they reject discouragement, recognize God’s faithfulness, and courageously embrace the mission He has prepared for them.
Daily Challenge: Bring one long-standing prayer intention to God today and consciously place it back into His hands.
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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