Announcement of the Birth of John

Today's Reflections

          

Announcement of the Birth of John 

http://graceandspace.org

Lk 1:5-25

⁵In the days of Herod, King of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah… ⁸Once when he was serving as priest in his division’s turn before God... ¹¹the angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right of the altar of incense. ¹²Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him. ¹³But 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. ¹⁴And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, ¹⁵for he will be great in the sight of [the] Lord. ... ¹⁹And 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. …

²¹Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah and were amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary. ²²But 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. ²³Then, when his days of ministry were completed, he went home. ²⁴After this time his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she went into seclusion for five months, saying, ²⁵“So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit to take away my disgrace before others.”

Reflection:

Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son. In the Gospel God springs another surprise. Zechariah, an elderly priest, is promised by God through the angel Gabriel a child who will be born of his wife, the already old and sterile Elizabeth. Zechariah has actually been praying for a child, but it is clear that he at most only half expects that God will hear his prayer. But God hears him, nevertheless, and promises him a son, whose name—John—means “God is gracious.”

Our God is an all-powerful God for whom nothing is impossible. Besides, ours is a gracious God who desires our happiness. Therefore, we should pray to God with full faith, trusting that God can do all things and confident that God will give us what is for our good.

Have you experienced praying for something

for so long that when it is given,

you feel it seems too good to be true?