Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son

THURSDAY 19 DECEMBER (Lk 1,5-25)

Joseph is the man who observes the Law of the Lord, thinking the best beyond the Law itself. His heart is ready to pass to an obedience that asks for total abandonment in the hands of his Lord: “Let it be done to me, Lord, according to your will. Your will is my Law. Your wish my perennial Statute”. Zacharias and Elizabeth are righteous before God and keep all the laws and prescriptions of the Lord. But they do not go further. They are not as perfect in the justice of the best as Joseph is. the Lord does not ask for any renunciation, any sacrifice and any abnegation to Zacharias. He only asks to believe that through his divine omnipotence he will become the father of a child, to whom he will have to give the name John. Zacharias sees himself old, advanced over the years, sees Elizabeth not only sterile, but also far beyond the age at which a woman might have children. For these human reasons he does not believe in the omnipotence of his God. He also forgets that Abraham, when he conceived Isaac, was much older than he and also Sara much older than his wife. Zechariah doubts the words addressed to him by the angel. Since the angel of the Lord did not come to give an order to Zechariah, but only to announce to him what his God was about to do with his old flesh and the sterile flesh of Elizabeth, he gave him a sign of the truth of his words: Zechariah will remain mute until the day when every word of the angel is duly fulfilled, that is, until the day of circumcision, the day in which the name of the child was given. With this sign Zechariah will know that everything will be accomplished.

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.”

Since John, the Son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, will be clothed with a unique mission throughout the history of salvation, his life will also be unique. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb of his mother. The Spirit will lead him from this moment on to the completion of his very high mission. The Spirit of God will be manifested in Him with so great a fortitude as that received as a gift by the prophet Elijah. This prophet spoke to kings and queens without any fear. In one day he killed all the prophets of Baal. He made fire come down from the sky. John will not repeat the deeds of Elijah. His power will be only the Word that he will announce.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints arrange that every Christian is strong in the Holy Spirit.