The Holy Gospel according 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.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Reflection: In today’s Gospel, we meet Zechariah and Elizabeth, who were living a faithful and devout life, “righteous in the eyes of God”, but they had no child. While he was serving as a priest in the temple, the angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah. The angel brings the good news to him that he and his wife Elizabeth will be expecting a child. Zechariah and Elizabeth had been praying for this for a long time. Zechariah’s first reaction is to doubt what the angel told him and he struggles to believe this. He asks the angel, “How shall I know this?” Because he doubted, Zechariah was made mute, unable to talk. It was while he was silenced that Zechariah learned to trust, and his faith deepened.
What does this mean for us today? There may have been times in our lives when we prayed a long time for something and we feel our prayer has not been answered. Maybe we have family members who have been away from the faith and church. We pray that they come back to the Lord but it has not happened. It could be any other prayer that we feel has not been answered. Maybe this is a time when God invites us into temporary silence, quiet time in our lives so that our faith can deepen and grow.
I recall when I was discerning the call to the diaconate. This was not something that I wanted to do, but that God was calling me to do. It took a couple of years of prayer and attending a silent retreat, but I finally realized this call was God’s will, not my will. It is during these times in silence that we hear those words said to Zechariah and others, “Do not be afraid.”
Our call is to remain faithful, patient and open, trusting that what God hears our prayers, that He will answer our prayers in His time, not our time.
Action for the day: Christmas is one week away. We are probably still about the “business of the Christmas season.” Take some quiet time each day this week as your prayer. Catholic Evangelist Matthew Kelly calls it the “classroom of silence.” Silence consoles, heals, comforts, clears the mind, and gives courage to the weary heart. Peace is the fruit of silence. Pray for the grace to take some time in silence.
Audio Reflection:
Thank you, Deacon Mike. As always your message is profound yet simple. God bless you. So glad you answered God’s call to be a deacon.