But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He will drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb, and he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of fathers toward children and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to prepare a people fit for the Lord.” LK 1:13-17
St. John the Baptist had great courage. His words have incredible power. Why? Because he had a relationship with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit worked in him in the womb. You also openyour heart. The Holy Spirit entered you when you decided to give your life to Christ. Trust Him. With him you gain courage!
I would recommend prayer to the Holy Spirit: The Sequence, Litany and Novena.
On you I depend from birth; from my mother’s womb you are my strength. I will treat of the mighty works of the LORD; O God, I will tell of your singular justice. O God, you have taught me from my youth, and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds. PS 71:6 AND 16-17
Holy Spirit, thank you for this, that you give me courage!