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Starting at Luke 1:5, this session focuses on the man God destined to "prepare the way of the Lord," John the Baptist (Is 40:3). He is the long-awaited son of the Zechariah\nthe priest of Abijah and the barren Elizabeth, an elderly couple who were "blameless before the Lord, following all this commandments and ordinances" (Lk 1:6)

The so-called "Little Annunciation" refers to Luke 1:8-22, when the Archangel Gabriel appears to Zechariah in the Temple and announces that Elizabeth will conceive of John. As he towers over Zechariah before the Altar of Insence, Gabriel proclaims that John will not only be a Nazirite who lives according to the ordinances of Numbers 6, but he will "be filled with the\nHoly Spirit" from his mother's womb and will fulfil the prophecies of the end of the Book of Malachi and Sirach 48:10. Moreover, he will
\n"turn many of the\nsons of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before Him in the spirit\nof Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient\nto the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared."

When Zechariah questions the messenger of God, he is struck mute until John's birth\nfor his lack of faith, but his tongue loosens at the remarkable naming of his\nson. Now eight days old, John has been\nthe talk of the hill country of Judah for five months, for some of his neighbors marvel at him, others are frightened and all ask "What then will\nthis child be?"

Simply put, John is the greatest of all the prophets who effectively sums up all the\nprophets and a saint of saints. All four\nGospels begin with John the Baptist as the herald and preparer for Christ. Intentionally consecrated for divine\nintervention, John is filled with the Holy Spirit from within his mother's\nwomb. The first prophet in 400 years,\nhis ministry of baptism and repentance was unique in all of Judaism quickly\nattracts the attention of all of Israel.

Baptizing thousands primarily in the Jordan he even extends his ministry to\nthe Samaritans and is later captured ministering in the Northern country. His extraordinarily radical message condemns\nthe government for its injustice towards the poor and indicts the corruption within the priestly leadership. Underscoring the presence of grace and divine design in John's life, Jesus\nchooses not to begin his ministry full-throttle until after John's death.

John's ministry is relevant even today, for we must continue to prepare the way of the\nLord and do whatever possible to prepare ourselves and our people for salvation\nby repenting and entering into the treasures of our Baptism.