The Gospel according to Luke (1:5-25)
In the days of Herod, King of Judea,
there was a priest named Zechariah
of the priestly division of Abijah;
his wife was from the daughters of Aaron,
and her name was Elizabeth.
Both were righteous in the eyes of God,
observing all the commandments
and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly.
But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren
and both were advanced in years.
Once when he was serving as priest
in his division’s turn before God,
according to the practice of the priestly service,
he was chosen by lot
to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense.
Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside
at the hour of the incense offering,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him,
standing at the right of the altar of incense.
Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him.
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.”
Then Zechariah said to the angel,
“How shall I know this?
For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.”
And the angel said to him in reply,
“I am Gabriel, who stand before God.
I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news.
But now you will be speechless and unable to talk
until the day these things take place,
because you did not believe my words,
which will be fulfilled at their proper time.”
Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah
and were amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary.
But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them,
and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary.
He was gesturing to them but remained mute.
Then, when his days of ministry were completed, he went home.
After this time his wife Elizabeth conceived,
and she went into seclusion for five months, saying,
“So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit
to take away my disgrace before others.”
Reflection:
Do you ever think that even though you follow all the rules and strive to do what is right you still feel like you are being punished? I wonder if that is what Zechariah thought when he lost his ability to speak. Today’s gospel begins with a very favorable description of both Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth. It says both were righteous in the eyes of God. They followed all the rules; they were good people.
Then an angel appears to Zechariah with incredible news that their prayers for a child would be fulfilled. This whole experience scared poor Zechariah. And although the angel assured him not to be afraid Zechariah still could not comprehend how this miracle would take place because of their age and history of infertility. God had a plan, but Zechariah hesitated, questioned the providence of God. Could this have been an issue of trust? Did he not believe that God could make this possible?
We must admit, most if not all of us have questioned God’s ways. We struggle to see his plan and even if we do, we often question how he can make it possible. We, too, have trust issues when it comes to God’s plan. And, like Zechariah, lose our ability to communicate our faith, hope, and love so as to help others see God’s plan as well. What are we doing to help us discern the will of God? And better yet, trust that with our participation he will accomplish the miracles that will make his presence known and felt?
Action of the day:
Trust is one of the most precious commodities we have. But, once we have it, we can become a part of the miracles, big and small, that God makes possible in and through our lives. What is holding you back from trusting God with reckless abandon? With arms wide open lift your prayers to God for the grace we all need to trust that God’s plan for us and everyone is truly for our good.
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