The final day of preparation for the celebration of the Incarnation tonight and tomorrow; the Solemnity of Christmas. Today's Mass sadly is so often missed, with the multiplication of Christmas Eve Masses, priests simply don't have the time, the energy, or the canonical permission to offer the Mass proper to the morning of December 24th. The Gospel for today is the Benedictus, the prayer, or rather the hymn that Zechariah offers to God when he regains his speech. Twice in the context of this hymn does Zechariah state that God will deliver us from our enemies, make us free and without fear. What is it that we fear, we live in a culture that seems to thrive on fear. But God promises us an existence without fear, an existence of total trust, faith, and confidence, but it comes from Him, and only if we rely on Him, will it come to us. Lord God, free us from all fear, free us from the hands of our enemies, give us true faith and confidence in you.
