[Catholic Caucus] My Catholic Life! Faith or Doubt? - Thursday, December 19, 2024 - Catholic Caucus/Devotional

By Free Republic | Created at 2024-12-19 17:35:47 | Updated at 2024-12-28 11:52:30 1 week ago

[Catholic Caucus] My Catholic Life! Faith or Doubt? - Thursday, December 19, 2024 - Catholic Caucus/Devotional
My Catholic Life (YouTube) ^ | December 19, 2024 | My Catholic Life

Posted on 12/19/2024 9:20:05 AM PST by fidelis

Daily Readings from the USCCB

“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.” Luke 1:19–20

Imagine if the Archangel Gabriel appeared to you. What would that have been like? This particular Archangel stands before the incomprehensible beauty and splendor of the Most Holy Trinity and brings forth messages of the greatest importance. Gabriel is God’s most notable messenger. Take a moment to ponder what such a glorious apparition would have been like.

In the passage above, this glorious Archangel appears to Zechariah as he is fulfilling his priestly duty to burn incense before the Lord within the Holy of Holies. As Zechariah enters the sanctuary while all the people remain outside praying, he suddenly has a vision of the Archangel telling him that his wife Elizabeth will have a child, even though she is advanced in years. But even though Zechariah hears this message from Gabriel, the Archangel who stands before God, he doubts what he is being told.

Would you have believed the Archangel Gabriel if you were Zechariah? Or would you have doubted? Though there may not be a way to know the answer to that question, it’s helpful to ponder the humble truth that you very well may have doubted. It takes true humility to admit that possibility. Like Zechariah, we are all weak and sinful. We lack the perfect faith that our Blessed Mother had. And if you can humbly admit this, then you are in a great position to overcome the weakness of faith you struggle with. Zechariah suffered much for his lack of faith, but that suffering led to a renewal of faith when he named his child John in obedience to the Archangel.

Reflect, today, upon how well you listen to all that God says to you. Do you listen, believe and obey? Or do you question and doubt God’s voice. Know that God speaks to you each and every day. Admit the ways that you lack perfect faith and allow that act of humble acknowledgment to strengthen you where you need help the most.

Lord, I know I lack the depth of perfect faith that I so deeply desire to have. I know that You speak to me day and night, and I fail to listen and obey. As I humble myself before You and confess my weakness of faith, strengthen me to respond more fully each day to all that You say to me. Jesus, I trust in You.

TOPICS: Catholic; Prayer; Worship
KEYWORDS: catholic; christian; devotional; mycatholiclife

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A daily Catholic Caucus devotional reflection on the Gospel reading. Please FReepmail me if you would like to be added or removed from the ping list.

Please keep in mind that this is a Catholic Caucus/Devotional thread for the purpose of prayerful reflection on the Sacred Scriptures and is closed to debate of any kind. Per FR policy on Religion Caucus threads, off-topic, argumentative, and abusive comments are not allowed and will be submitted to the Mods for deletion. Thanks, and God bless you.

1 posted on 12/19/2024 9:20:05 AM PST by fidelis

To: fidelis; redryder_90; annalex; NorthMountain; Salvation; Pajamajan; Az Joe; pax_et_bonum; ...

Pinging the daily My Catholic Life! list!

2 posted on 12/19/2024 9:20:28 AM PST by fidelis (👈 Under no obligation to respond to rude, ignorant, abusive, bellicose, and obnoxious posts.)

3 posted on 12/19/2024 9:21:35 AM PST by fidelis (👈 Under no obligation to respond to rude, ignorant, abusive, bellicose, and obnoxious posts.)

4 posted on 12/19/2024 9:22:57 AM PST by fidelis (👈 Under no obligation to respond to rude, ignorant, abusive, bellicose, and obnoxious posts.)

5 posted on 12/19/2024 9:23:56 AM PST by fidelis (👈 Under no obligation to respond to rude, ignorant, abusive, bellicose, and obnoxious posts.)

December is the month dedicated to the Immaculate Conception:

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!”
(Luke 1:26-28)

6 posted on 12/19/2024 9:24:26 AM PST by fidelis (👈 Under no obligation to respond to rude, ignorant, abusive, bellicose, and obnoxious posts.)

7 posted on 12/19/2024 9:25:14 AM PST by fidelis (👈 Under no obligation to respond to rude, ignorant, abusive, bellicose, and obnoxious posts.)

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