June 24, Nativity of St. John the Baptist

I praise you, for I am wonderfully made. — Psalm 139:14

Mass Readings: Vigil: Jeremiah 1:4-10 /1 Peter 1:8-12 / Luke 1:5-17; Day: Isaiah 49:1-6 /Acts 13:22-26 / Luke 1:57-66,80

Human Doubt

God answers my prayers. Some of my requests see immediate results but most don’t. I wait and wait. Sometimes discouragement grips my soul as I waver back and forth, wondering whether I’ll ever obtain what I’m asking for. During these moments of doubt, I’m angry at myself for letting my faith slip aside, especially when I read about role models like St. John the Baptist. 

His father, Zechariah, was a holy priest but he was also a frail human being. When told by an angel his wife would conceive a child late in life, Zechariah scoffed. Somehow, I find comfort knowing that he, like the rest of us, suffered doubt. And he, like the rest of us, had recourse to God’s mercy and forgiveness to rise and try again.

Prayer: St. John the Baptist, lead me back to God when I suffer from doubt.