6. The Birth of John the Baptist (Lk 1:57-80)

When the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, her neighbors and her relatives rejoiced with her at the Lord’s mercy. On the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child; they would have called him Zechariah, after his father, but his mother said, “No; he will be called John.”

They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.” They made signs to his father, to learn what he would have him called.

He asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, “His name is John.”

They all marveled. His tongue was freed immediately, and he spoke, blessing God. Amazement came on all who lived around them, and all these sayings were talked about throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard them laid them up in their heart, saying because the hand of the Lord was with him, “What then will this child be?” Zechariah, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied, saying,

“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people; and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets who have been from of old), salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us; to show mercy towards our fathers, to remember his holy covenant, the oath which he spoke to Abraham, our father, to grant to us that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, should serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before  him all the days of our life.
And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the dawn from on high will visit us, to shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death; to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

The child grew, becoming strong in spirit, and was in the desert until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

For Reflection

In the course of nine months or so, Zechariah went from doubt to ecstasy. Maybe some of his enthusiasm at the birth of his son came from having been silent for so long.

Have you ever known anyone with aphasia, the inability to speak, perhaps due to a stroke or other cause? Do you value your ability to speak? Do you choose your words wisely and well?

Prayer: May the words of my mouth, Lord, consistently express my joy rather than my irritation.