Reading and meditation on the Word of God on Friday, special day of Advent, December 19, 2025

Delivered by Celine from the Parish of Saint Marinus Yohanes in the Diocese of Surabaya, Indonesia. Judges 13: 2-7.24-25a; Rs psalm 71: 3-4a.5-6ab.16-17; Luke 1: 5-25.MIRACULOUSPREPARATION Thetitle for our meditation today is: Miraculous Preparation. Preparation is themain theme of Advent. We have reflected on the great preparation as carried outby John the Baptist and Elijah. There is also a form of preparation thathighlights God's justice with the King David, the results of which aremanifested in the person of Mother Mary and Saint Joseph. Then today we areintroduced to a form of miraculous preparation, with the main characters beingManoah's wife or Samson's mother, and John the Baptist's parents, Zachariah andElizabeth. Wecall it a miraculous preparation, and not just great, because it is close to amuch more miraculous event, namely the birth of the Savior, which is already soonto come. The miraculous event in the lives of Mary and Joseph which ismanifested in the birth of Jesus Christ, certainly must be anticipated by amiraculous preparation as well. And this miraculous preparation was the birthof Samson from his mother who was barren, as well as the birth of John theBaptist from Elisabeth who was also claimed to be barren. Zakariah, Elisabeth'shusband, is also included in this circle of miracles. Ifyou dare to ask yourself, what miracle must be prepared to welcome thecelebration of the birth of Jesus Christ this year? Something magical alwaysamazes or more precisely, something new that makes us wonder. However, havingexperience a special relationship with God does not have to be big andmagnificent. Miraculous or wonderful thing doesn't have to be somethingextraordinary. Jesus Christ, who was born in simplicity, is enough to give usan idea that miracles are the experiences of finding light and answers aboutour lives in God. Someonewrote on the social media wall about her family's miraculous preparation forthis Christmas. "My youngest child, who is already a young man, over thelast years has not been able to get along and agree with us, his parents. Justthis past day he opened up and talked to us. We actually stopped at the exactplace where our child was, so that our communication could be connected, theconversation would flow, and finally a solution to our problem could bereached. May this Christmas be a very beautiful experience in our family”. Thissmall sharing is a miraculous preparation, which of course will be aligned withthe miracle of the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. We as individuals,families, and communities need to prepare miraculously or in a new way, inorder to find that harmony and unity. If there is nothing miraculous or newexperience, wouldn't the Christmas celebration be ordinary, without anything wonderful? Let us pray. In thename of the Father... O merciful God, make us individuals and families who can renewour lives through miraculous preparation for this Christmas. Glory to theFather and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit ... In the name of the Father ...