19th December. Friday of Advent, Week 3

1st Reading: Judges 13:2-7, 24-25

Manoah’s wife will conceive a son,Samson, to be dedicated to God all his life.

There was a certain man of Zorah, of the tribe of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. His wife was barren, having borne no children. And the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Although you are barren, having borne no children, you shall conceive and bear a son. Now be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, or to eat anything unclean, for you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor is to come on his head, for the boy shall be a nazirite to God from birth. It is he who shall begin to deliver Israel from the hand of the Philistines.” Then the woman came and told her husband, “A man of God came to me, and his appearance was like that of an angel of God, most awe-inspiring; I did not ask him where he came from, and he did not tell me his name; but he said to me, ‘You shall conceive and bear a son. So then drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, for the boy shall be a nazirite to God from birth to the day of his death.’”

The woman bore a son, and named him Samson. The boy grew, and the Lord blessed him. The spirit of the Lord began to stir him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

Gospel: Luke 1:5-25

The glorious destiny of John, the long-awaited son of Zechariah and Elizabeth.

In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years.

Once when he was serving as priest before God and his section was on duty, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and offer incense. Now at the time of the incense offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. 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 must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedint to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.” The angel replied, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. But now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur.”

Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah, and wondered at his delay in the sanctuary. When he did come out, he could not speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept motioning to them and remained unable to speak. When his time of service was ended, he went to his home.

After those days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she remained in seclusion. She said, “This is what the Lord has done for me when he looked favourably on me and took away the disgrace I have endured among my people.”

Glorious Things In Store

There are many interesting parallels in the bible stories about God granting the gift of children to those who longed for them. After years of waiting, Abraham and Sarah were blessed with Isaac, Manoah and his wife were blessed with Samson, and – in today’s Gospel, Zechariah and Elizabeth were blessed with the great “fore-runner”, John the Baptist.

Luke has annunciation stories to both Zechariah and Mary, in parallel yet distinctive accounts. Each is startled at the angel’s appearance. Gabriel instructs each not to be afraid. Each is promised a child and given a hint of his or her child’s future greatness.

Luke is careful to locate events in both time and place. After the message to Zechariah in Jerusalem that he and Elizabeth would have a son the mute priest, still not quite believing the news, returns to his home. Elizabeth has more faith and rejoices in her pregnancy, while staying secluded for the first five months. Then, in the sixth month of her pregnancy, the fuller meaning of what God is doing is made clear to her. Her young relative, Mary of Nazareth comes to her to be with her for a time, and share the news of her own blessed pregnancy – and to lift up joyful praise to God, who is coming to visit his people with saving grace.

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Today’s gospel gives us another angelic annunciation, this time about the birth of John the Baptist. The angel announces to Zechariah that his wife Elizabeth is to bear him a son, whose name will be John. In Hebrew this name means “God is gracious.” God will be gracious to Zechariah and his wife, and through them to the whole people. However, unlike our Lady, Zechariah’s faith can’t accept this extraordinary mesage, extraordinary because both he and his wife were advanced in years. God was to do something far exceeding their expectations, and Zechariah cannot quite take it in. He could not hear it. The angel then announced to him that his inability to hear what God was about to do would lead to his being unable to speak. Inadequate listening can often lead to inadequate speaking. Hearing comes before speaking and is more important than speaking; that is probably why we have two ears and only one mouth. Zechariah was not sufficiently open to God’s generous ways and this lack of openness undermined his ability to communicate with others. The gospel reading calls on us to be open to the surprising ways of a gracious and generous God, and warns us that our limited expectations of God can be a block to God’s work and can also leave us less alive than God intends us to be.