The Herald of Christmas

Our gospel on this day before Christmas Eve is about the birth of John the Baptist, Luke 1:57-66. When it came time to name the child the relatives and friends of Elizabeth and Zechariah were surprised when they said his name would be John. Of course, Zechariah had to write it down because he was not able to speak after doubting the message of the angel. All of those gathered were frightened when Zechariah was able to speak and he sang the praises of God. Those who heard about this said, "What, then, will this child be? For surely the hand of the Lord was with him." John the Baptist grew up to preach a message of repentance and prepare people for the coming Messiah. We know that John was the forerunner of the Messiah so we can say the he is the herald of Christmas. John prepared the people for the Lord's first coming and what we await is his second coming. That is what we are doing in our present day. We are preparing people to be ready, to stay on guard and be alert. As we approach the Solemnity of Christmas, let us be heralds of the Good News and proclaim with great joy the coming of the Lord. Have a blessed day!!!