Henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me

 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.  And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.  Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!  But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.  Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord."

And Mary said:

"My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
And exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty.
He has helped His servant Israel,
In remembrance of His mercy,
As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and to his seed forever."

And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.

- Luke 1:39-48a, 48b-56

Yesterday, we read that in the sixth month (of Elizabeth's pregnancy) the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.  The virgin's name was Mary.  And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"  But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.  Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.  And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."  Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"  And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.  Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is not the sixth month for her who was called barren.  For with God nothing will be impossible."  Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord!  Let it be to me according to your word."  And the angel departed from her.

  Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.  And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.   Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!  But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.  Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord."   The leaping of the babe, John the Baptist, in Elizabeth's womb is considered to be a sign of the return of prophecy to Israel.  We remember no prophet had been seen in Israel since the time of Malachi; it was considered a kind of reproach, marking the longing for the Messiah.  Then Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, speaks words of spiritual truth -- venerating Mary as one blessed among women just as Gabriel had in yesterday's reading.   She calls Mary by a rightful title in the Church, the mother of My Lord.  This is seen as a confession; the babe just formed in Mary's womb is already understood as both fully human and fully divine:  the Lord was another title for God.  This image of new life being fully recognized as incarnate Christ, and Mary as mother of My Lord, gives us a picture of the Person already present in the womb, and informs the Church's point of view on the sanctity of life from earliest inception.

And Mary said:  "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.   For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.  For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.  And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.  He has shown strength with His arm;  He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.  He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly.  He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty.  He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy,  As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever."  And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.  Mary's song is called the "Magnificat," after its first word in the Latin version.  My study bible says it comes from the heart of Mary, inspired by the song of Hannah (1 Samuel 2:1-10).   The song prophesies that all generations will call me blessed -- as the Church continues to venerate Mary today.  Mary gives credit fully to God for the Incarnation, and not to herself, expressing, as my study bible puts it, "both deep humility and the knowledge that God is the source of all grace."   Through the Incarnation, Mary's song declares, God reigns over all, from generation to generation.

Mary's song gives us a big clue about Christ and about the power of God present in Him.  It is a statement, a prophesy, about a power that turns things upside down, stands worldly power on its head, and that is properly represented in Mary, who as a figure is entirely humble and yet remains a source of strength for millions, called throughout Church history a refuge and a strong tower, considered to be the one who overturned the sin of Eve her ancestor.  As such, she's the ultimate expression of what a human being can be; it's her "Yes" that makes way for everything else.  God's power, she reveals (as did Hannah), has scattered those proud in the imagination of their hearts,  put down the mighty from their thrones, exalted the lowly, filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.  All these things are made possible, glorified, via the Incarnation, through her role, her "Yes" to the grace presented to her.  God works through the humble, but humble does not mean lacking in strength, or confidence, or faith:  Mary has all of these.  It's the power of her faith and of her discernment that teaches us something about where strength really is, and what is possible for a human being.  We shouldn't forget also that Jesus' human nature will be taken from this woman, and it seems to me that His powerful respect for and inclusion of women in His ministry speaks very strongly for her influence, and the kindness of His male guardian, Joseph.  It is Mary who shows a true understanding of God's power at work in her song which we read today, Mary who prompts her Son at the wedding at Cana, the first sign in John's Gospel, and teaches the servants present also, "Whatever He says to you, do it."  She said "Yes," and she teaches us all to do the same; in that sense, she is the tower of strength, the fortress of faith, the image of human being for all of us, men and women, from generation to generation.  What is important is that we understand her great blessing; that she is the "highly favored one" precisely because of all of these qualities that come from spiritual depth, a wealth open to each of us, even (or perhaps, especially) the most humble.  What is the power of faith?  That is what she shows us, an image for each of us to consider and to venerate.

Benedictus

 Now Elizabeth' full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son.  When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her.  So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias. 

His mother answered and said, "No; he shall be called John."  But they said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name."  So they made signs to his father -- what he would have him called.  And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, "His name is John."  So they all marveled.  Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God.  Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea.  And all those who heard them kept them in their hearts, saying, "What kind of child will this be?"  And the hand of the Lord was with him.

Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:
"Blessed is the Lord 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 since the world began,
That we should be saved from our enemies
And from the hand of all who hate us,
To perform the mercy promised to our fathers
And to remember His holy covenant,
The oath which He swore to our father Abraham:
To grant us that we,
Being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
Might serve Him without fear,
In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest;
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,
Through the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;
To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace."

So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.

- Luke 1:57-80

In the first reading for today, we have read the story of Mary's song, called the Magnificat.  Now Mary arose in those days (after Gabriel's Annunciation to her) and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.  And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.  Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!  But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.  Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord."  And Mary said:  "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.   For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.  For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.  And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.  He has shown strength with His arm; he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.  He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly.  He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty.  He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy,  As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever."  And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.

 Now Elizabeth' full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son.  When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her.  So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias.  My study bible tells us that circumcision was a sign of Israel's covenant with God and the means by which a male became a member of God's community (Genesis 17:10; Leviticus 12:3).  In Christ, circumcision is fulfilled in baptism (see Colossians 2:11).

His mother answered and said, "No; he shall be called John."  But they said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name."  So they made signs to his father -- what he would have him called.  And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, "His name is John."   My study bible says that John means "grace of God."  It says, "By insisting on the name God chose for her son, Elizabeth affirms God has called John to a specific mission (see also 1:31; Genesis 17:5, 15; 32:28)."

So they all marveled.  Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God.  Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea.  And all those who heard them kept them in their hearts, saying, "What kind of child will this be?"  And the hand of the Lord was with him.  Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:  "Blessed is the Lord 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 since the world began, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us, to perform the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant, the oath which He swore to our father Abraham:  To grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.  And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; 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, through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."   A note tell us:  "When Zacharias assented to God's will, his mouth was opened.  Just as prophecy is restored at the Incarnation of Christ, so Zachariaas, as high priest, can speak again now that the Savior and His forerunne3r have come.  Note Zacharias immediately declares Christ (vv. 68-69), and secondly declares the role of his own son as prophet of the Highest."

So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.   My study bible tells us:  "Dwelling in the desert, away from the stains and wickedness of the masses, John is able to fight temptation and grow strong in spirit.  According to the tradition of the Church, John was brought to the deserts by Elizabeth when Zacharias was martyred, and there was ministered to by angels."

Zacharias has been rendered mute because of his doubt of the word of Gabriel as he performed his priestly duties at the altar.  But at his assent to the name John for his son, he is filled with the Holy Spirit.  If you think about it, this name is the sign that the Baptist isn't just the property of his father and mother, he will not merely reflect family lineage -- he's not given a family name.  Rather, John is a child consecrated to God, filled with the Holy Spirit, and this is what the selection of the name tells us.  At Zacharias' assent to this name by writing it on a tablet (making certain we understand its meaning as "grace of God"), he is filled with the Holy Spirit, and a song of prophecy results.  It is a song prophesying the coming of the Lord of salvation, and the role that will be played by John, whom we shall know as John the Baptist.  It is a song of blessing; we call it the Benedictus.  It is also a song of deliverance from enemies, which is another aspect of a redeemer that we don't often think about.  It is the meaning of the term "to ransom."  The purpose for this deliverance from enemies is to worship in peace, and to spread the light of the "Dayspring" comes in visitation of His people, "to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."  The Holy Spirit speaks through Zachariah, and we are to take his words to heart.  From what do we wish to be delivered, and what for?  There is a clear expression here of the purpose of our lives, of what freedom an enemy curbs in our capture, and what we are liberated in order to do in peace.  Can we set our lives on this sort of plane, on this basis for an understanding of freedom and what it means?  Do we understand what it is to find salvation through the "tender mercy" of God, and the greatness of the mission to give light and to "guide our feet into the way of peace?"  This is the central core of the message, that a redeemer will ransom us in order to spread God's light and peace, to lift the darkness and those who suffer in the shadow of death.  As we celebrate the coming of the Light, let us remember what life is all about at its core, in the center of the message here.

Magnificat

Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.  And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.  Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!  But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.  Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord."

And Mary said:

"My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty.
He has helped His servant Israel,
In remembrance of His mercy,
As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and to his seed forever."

 And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.

- Luke 1:39-56

 Yesterday, we read that in the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to  city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.  The virgin's name was Mary.  And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"  But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.  Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.  And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."  Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"  And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.  Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.  For with God nothing will be impossible."  Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord!  Let it be to me according to your word."  And the angel departed from her.

 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.  And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. My study bible says that "because Christ is now incarnate, prophecy resumes in Israel.  The blessed John prophesies of the presence of Christ by leaping in the womb of Elizabeth.  As he is God's prophet, John's recognition of Christ fulfills what was spoken of Jeremiah:  'Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you' (Jeremiah 1:5)."

Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!"  Mary, says my study bible, receives veneration from both angels and humans.  As Gabriel had done earlier in this chapter, so now Elizabeth declare Mary to be blessed among women.

"But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.  Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord."  My study bible notes here that Mary is confessed as the mother of My Lord.  This confession, and others like it within the Church ("Theotokos" [Gr. God-bearer], "Mother of God," etc.), confirm that the One in the womb of Mary is both human and divine -- the very Son of God Himself.  At Vespers of Annunciation the Eastern Church declares, "It is the Word of God who dwells within her."  Even though His physical body was not yet fully formed, Jesus is nevertheless fully and truly the Son of God incarnate, and Mary is already recognized as being His mother. 

And Mary said:  "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.  For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;  for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.  For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.  And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.  He has shown strength with His arm; he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.  He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly.  He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty.  He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever."  And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.   This passage (Mary's song) is known as the "Magnificat" from the first word of the song in Latin.  It comes from the heart of Mary, and was inspired by the song of Hannah (1 Samuel 2:1-10).  My study bible says that it is normally sung at Matins in the liturgical cycle, and that from this inspired hymn we are taught:  (1)  Christian believers for all time will honor and venerate the Virgin Mary, for she prophesied that all generations will call me blessed; (2) it is impossible to believe in the inspiration of Scripture and not bless the Mother of God; (3)  Mary ascribe the miracle of the Incarnation of God, and not to herself, showing both deep humility and the knowledge that God is the source of all grace; (4) through the Incarnation, God reigns over all."

The man who will be known as Jesus is barely a fetus in His human mother's womb, but He is nevertheless already understood to be My Lord.   John stirring in the womb of Elizabeth confirms the presence of the Holy One who is growing in Mary at this time.  Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesies.  And this is truly, finally, the time of prophecy.  That is, prophecy, the work of the Holy Spirit, manifests freely in Israel again after a long time of "barrenness."  Great things are stirring, new things are manifesting.  The hand of God becomes apparent at work in these two women and the children they are to bear.  And the work of the Spirit manifests in song!  In praise and poetry, words that are Scripture, that live for us today, come spontaneously out of the mouths of those so blessed.  Mary's song is one inspired by Hannah, with very similar elements of praise.  It is a song of blessings, and a song of judgment and righteousness, because with this great work manifesting in the world, God has " shown strength with His arm; he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.  He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly.  He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty."  In so doing, God has "helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever."   The joy in this announcement, like the one of Hannah, teaches us about God's work, God's blessings, and it is also about God's justice.  The empty are filled, the lowly are lifted, the poor inherit glory with the princes.  The work of God is like a great leavening, reminding us of John's words that will come to announce the Messiah:  "Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight."  God is the One who makes all things "straight."  He "evens up" the reality of the world that denies to some and takes away from others unjustly; but His mercy is on those who love Him forever.  As Jesus will say, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy"  (Matthew 5:7).  This great song is about the overflowing mercy and blessings of the Lord, the God who comes to His people who love Him, for whom everything come via faith, as Jesus' works will show.  Faith, that is, in the God who is justice and mercy, and truth and love, and teaches us righteousness -- to be "like Him."  Let us always recall how great a blessing this is: it is one for the whole world, it is accessed by anyone through faith.  This abundance of righteousness and mercy, of love and truth, of joy and peace, is here forever for any of us.  And it comes through this woman who calls herself blessed by God, her Savior.  It comes via her song to us, and the beauty of poetry in the verses; it is a chance for the redemption of all Israel and for all that follow.

Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John

 But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name 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, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink.  He will also 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 also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."  And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this?  For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years."  And the angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings.  But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time."  And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple.  But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.

So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house.  Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, "Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people."

- Luke 1:13-25

On Saturday, we read from the beginning of Luke's story of the Gospel, of the unfolding of the mission of Christ in the world.  There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah.  His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.  And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.  But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.  So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.  And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.  Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.  And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

  But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John."  My study bible points out that Zacharias' prayer wasn't to have a son, but for the atonement of the sins of Israel (Hebrews 9:7).  Gabriel's announcement is a revelation both that Zacharias' prayer for atonement will be answered and that Elizabeth will conceive a son.  The atonement will be announced by John, who will identify Christ as "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).

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, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink.  He will also 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 also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."   Elijah, according to my study bible, is expected to reappear from heaven as the forerunner of the second coming of the Lord (Malachi 4:5).  John the Baptist fulfills the spirit of Elijah as he is the forerunner of the Lord's first coming -- as Jesus will teach (see Matthew 11:14).

And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this?  For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years."  And the angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings.  But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time."  And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple.  But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.   My study bible tells us, referring to Gabriel's word to Zacharias, You will be mute:  "Zacharias is disciplined for his lack of faith, yet this also serves as proof that Gabriel's announcement is true.  The silencing of the high priest also reveals a deeper mystery.  The Messiah was expected to fulfill three crucial roles held by various people in the Old Testament:  prophet, priest, and king.  Only Jesus Christ can be said to have fulfilled all three offices perfectly.  He is the true Prophet (Deut. 18:15-18), the true King (23:3; Isaiah 9:6; Micah 5:1), and the true High Priest (Psalm 109:4; Hebrews 4:14).  In preparation for Christ's coming, God had silenced for the prophets for many years [we will speak further to this regarding verse 24 further on], and also permitted an illegitimate usurper to occupy the position of king of Judea [Herod the Great, who was not himself Jewish but called king of Judea].  Here, in the last days before Christ's coming, the high priest is also silenced.  With these three roles vacant, illegitimate, and silent, all is ready for the Son of God to be revealed as Prophet, King, and Priest."

So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house.  Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, "Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people."  My study bible tells us that the conception of St. John the Baptist is celebrated liturgically in the Eastern Church on September 23, confirming the sanctity of marital relations for those past childbearing years.  Since the time of Malachi, God had not sent a great prophet to Israel (see 1 Maccabees 9:27).  It says, "Silencing of the prophets served to heighten the anticipation of the Messiah and to make it all the more evident when He came.  As John the Baptist was the prophet preparing the way for Christ, he was kept hidden until Christ was conceived [Elizabeth hid herself].  Once Christ was conceived, John was revealed through the prophetic act of leaping in Elizabeth's womb."

 We see the importance of prophecy to the Gospels, and to the whole of Scripture, the whole arc of the word of God as we know it.  In today's story, Israel has been without prophets for many generations, and there is more to the story in that so many things are not as they should be.  The man on the throne who calls himself the king of Judea is not a Jew.  How can this be the place of the people of God without prophecy, and without a true king for the people?  It is a time when people are already anxiously looking for a redeemer, and the priest Zacharias prays for atonement for the people.  It is a time of expectation and need and hope.  Things are already awry, and barren in a certain sense of the nation of the people of God.  So we have Elizabeth, a woman whom God loves, who stands blameless in her heart as God knows her, but who has a reproach among the society because she has no child.  She and her husband are by now older in years.  And yet the prophecy comes, the announcement of Gabriel.  They will have not just a son, but one filled with the Holy Spirit, a holy man who neither drinks 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 also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.'"   The quotation is from the prophecy of Malachi (4:5-6) regarding the return of Elijah.    As we have noted above, Christ will call John the one who returns in the spirit of Elijah.  So powerful is the word of the archangel that Zacharias' doubt is enough to render him mute in the face of this extraordinary message, Gabriel's unimaginable good news.  As we noted on Saturday, an archangel bearing an announcement brings something beyond our understanding and comprehension, and represents a power that is uncontainable and unpredictable.  We have only to accept as a response; any other brings its consequences to us, so great is this power with which we interact.  It is a time of the "breaking in" of the kingdom of heaven, a time when God's power is asserting itself and revealing things to us "which will be fulfilled in their own time," as Gabriel says to Zacharias.  God is breaking into history, shaking up a situation in which there is so much that has seemed to go wrong, and this cannot happen without a kind of violence that tears the curtain between heaven and earth (as will literally happen with the curtain of the temple at Jesus' death).  John is the prophet who straddles both the Old Covenant and the New.  He is the last in the line of the Old and the first in the line of the New. He is the Forerunner (Prodromos in the Greek).  He is the herald who will bear the news before the arrival of the king, preparing the people for this event.  His life will be one of great sacrifice for this purpose.  From his conception, his gracious life will bear out this role, as we will see.

An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah.  His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.  And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.  But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.

So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.  And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.  Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.  And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

- Luke 1:5-12

As it is the time of Advent and the Christmas season, dear readers, I am taking a break from the usual Lectionary readings and postings on my blog.  It is a time for me of rest and reflection, a time for services and listening to our pastors, and participating with our communities.  My posts may be sporadic until Epiphany, at which time I will resume blogging commentary on the Daily Office Lectionary.  Today I begin with Luke 1, the story of prophecy, the "new beginning" for the people of God.

 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah.   His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.  Luke sets a historical date for us, in his attempt to be as thorough and reliable as he can.  Herod ruled Judea from 37-4 BC.  Known as a great builder of wondrous projects, he was also renown for his cruelty as a leader.  My study bible says, "An ancient prophecy of Jacob indicated the Messiah would come when a king ruled who was not from the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10).  As Herod was a non-Jew calling himself the king of Judea, the coming of Christ was surely at hand."

And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.   But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.   My study bible points out that Zacharias and Elizabeth are righteous before God; that is, not merely in outward appearance, but to the core of their being.  The holiness of John the Baptist came in part through the faith and piety of his parents.  It is a case in which both are blameless in God's sight, but she bears a public reproach.  So we begin our story with one of a typical portrait of a woman -- as so many others that Christ will point out -- who loves God without blame, and yet bears a social stigma in the public eye.  My study bible says that "like Sara (Genesis 16:1), Rebekah (Genesis 25:21), Rachel (Genesis 29:31), Hannah (1 Kings 1:2), and Anna, the mother of the Virgin Mary, Elizabeth's temporary barrenness was in fulfillment of God's plan for the salvation of His people."

So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.  And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.  We remember that incense is a way of sending prayers to God; as the Psalm says, "Let my prayer be set forth before You as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice (141:2), and we are to be a pleasing fragrance to God (1 Corinthians 2:15).  Revelation speaks of the heavenly golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the holy, the saints (5:8).   My study bible explains that each priest was assigned to a division.  There were twenty-four divisions in all, each serving a week at a time in rotation.  The responsibilities in the division were decided by lot; Zacharias is here assigned the duties of the high priest.  This event takes place at the time of the Atonement, when the high priest would enter the temple and make offerings for the sins of the people."

Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.  And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.  My study bible says, "Angels minister continually at the altar of the Lord, though usually unseen.  Those priests of pure heart, such as Zacharias, are occasionally chosen by God to witness this angelic liturgy (see also Isaiah 6; Revelation 7:9-17)."

The story of Christ begins with a sort of ordinary day.  That is, we're given a scene from the regular operating of the temple -- the system of worship, the rotation, the service, the hour of incense, the prayers of the people outside.  A kind of ordinary couple are the first to populate the scene in this vignette taken out of history, as we focus in on the story.  We get the time set for us in the rather extraordinary reign of Herod the Great -- a builder of wonders for all to admire (including the awe-inspiring reconstruction of the temple), and a ruthlessly violent and cruel ruler, known even among authorities of the time as a man who commits exceptional levels of murder, even as a murderer of family members.  But this couple we focus in on has its own problems, and is also extraordinary in its own way.  They are people of exceptional faith, not only blameless in the Law but blameless before God, in the heart.  And they have a problem, a social problem:  Elizabeth is barren, and so she bears a social reproach despite her great sanctity, and her blamelessness before God.  We begin in this place of daily life, ordered as it has been for centuries in the divisions and workings of the temple, among the people and this now older couple.   But the extraordinary sense of the heavenly appearing in earthly life is about to happen.  It's not unheard of, but here in this place of Zachariah's turn to minister and perform his duties, an angel appears -- even as we know the angels celebrate with us, even as the incense burns to send up the prayers of the people of God.  The holy intersects our world.  It "breaks in" as some references in the Gospels will teach us, it breaks into our midst with a kind of violence of its own, a sudden terror seizes Zacharaiah at what must be a tremendous sight of an angel at the altar.  We think of cherubs as the sweet looking little child inspired by images of the ancient Eros (or Cupid), god of love.  But we should and must remember angels also as fiery beings, the ones of tremendous light and power and energy, many-winged heavenly beings who serve God.  Here is not just an angel but an archangel, a leader of angels, and impulsively and with knowledge of the spiritual history of Israel, Zachariah does well by his instinctive and informed "terror," because the greatest messenger of the completely unknown and infinite, mysterious God (the Lord, whom we know as the "I AM") has broken into this scene and appeared before him.  What will the angel bring?  An announcement of God is about a future unknown, taken into new territory, and who knows what task may be at hand to fulfill this word?   It is the kingdom of heaven breaking in, coming near, at hand, and Zachariah is right not to underestimate that anything may happen, that he is about to be called into something beyond extraordinary.  Let us remember the lightning-flash brightness, the energy and fire of these awesome beings who serve the glory of the Lord, whose word (as messengers) is God's command.  Zachariah is bold enough and humble enough to know this, and to be aware of the impact of such a command which becomes a responsibility, an oath.   This angel ought to inspire awe, even a kind of terror at the power of what is God's business, and what it might mean to be open to that power at work in one's life, and called upon to bear something into the world.   Let us remember the humility that understands that we cannot contain God nor God's power in our lives. 

My soul magnifies the Lord

Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord."

And Mary said:

"My soul magnifies the Lord,

And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;

For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.

For He who is mighty has done great things for me,

And holy is His name.

And His mercy is on those who fear Him

From generation to generation.

He has shown strength with His arm;

He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He has put down the mighty from their thrones,

And exalted the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

And the rich He has sent away empty.

He has helped His servant Israel,

In remembrance of His mercy,

As He spoke to our fathers,

To Abraham and to his seed forever."

And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.

- Luke 1:39-56

In yesterday's reading, Luke's gospel told us the story of Gabriel's visit to Mary, the Annunciation. He told her: "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women!" She was troubled, and he continued: "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS." Mary asked, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" Gabriel answered: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, the power of the Highest will overshadow you, therefore, also that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible." Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord." We remember that Mary has been told by Gabriel that Elizabeth is in her sixth month of pregnancy. John the Baptist leaps in the womb of Elizabeth his mother, because Jesus has come near. Elizabeth responds in the Spirit, and calls Mary "blessed," just as Gabriel did in yesterday's reading. She realizes her child has leaped for joy in the presence of "my Lord." In the phrase, "Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord," Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, repeats a theme running through these first readings in Luke. Through faith, we are aware of what is to unfold in relationship to God, an active fulfillment of promise. Acceptance of this relationship has meant an awareness and acceptance of things unfolding, being fulfilled, moving forward, things revealed in the visitation of the messenger: first to Zacharias (who hesitated) and then to Mary.

And Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed." Here, Mary begins her own prayer from her heart, known in the West as the Magnificat, after its first word in its Latin form. This prayer is similar to the inspired prayer of Hannah found in 1 Samuel 2:1-10, which my study bible notes had been prayed by expectant Jewish mothers for centuries. "Henceforth all generations will call me blessed" is an inspired understanding of what to this day is true. What we read in the first words of this prayer is a clear sense of her depth of faith - a kind of oneness of Mary's own soul and spirit with Lord, God her Savior. Both titles will also be used for Christ, the son she bears. In the Eastern churches, she is known as "God-bearer."

"For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation." Again, we look to the future in this inspired prayer, and in that unfolding future is a story of faith, from generation to generation. It is a promise of mercy, a mercy that will unfold from generation to generation.

"He has shown strength with His arm; he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever." Here the promise refers back in time, to the thread of God's mercy running through the whole history of Israel, the people of God, from Abraham their ancestor. God's mercy unfolds through time, God's promise is fulfilled "in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his seed forever." What we have, then, is a sense of God's unfolding promises through time, the patient witness even of the whole people, Israel, the fulfillment in the present moment in which this young woman has become "God-bearer" for all. My study bible adds, "The reign of God is over (a) our hearts, (b) kings and rulers, (c) the poor and the rich, and (d) the faithful of God."

So, in these unfolding stories from the first chapter of Luke, we begin to get a sense of time, the unfolding of God's promises and their fulfillment, and the necessary requirement of faith that we be prepared to keep God's promise in mind, to accept and abide, even with patience, as God's promises are fulfilled. In this case, Mary's pregnancy is an unfolding of a promise made centuries before, even to Abraham, and it will unfold as a promise of generations to come: henceforth all generations will call me blessed. When we think of faith, and of examples of our faith, this is what we must bear in mind. It is a kind of abiding, a trust, a knowledge that the promise that we await unfolds, through time, becomes fulfilled. The faith and hope we hold in our hearts is that of a trust in God's love, and a sense in which God uses time as a part of that mercy, to unfold, build and grow a relationship of faith in us, and with us. What we keep in our hearts becomes a sense of God's love, God's help with us, not an immediate demand for fulfillment of what we may expect or desire. It is rather an unfolding blessing, a deepening of relationship, a promise fulfilled in and through time. Can we hold on to that love in our hearts? Can we consider ourselves blessed, as she did? These two women, in their great love for one another, hold fast to that promise in the Spirit -- in Gabriel's words, "for with God nothing will be impossible." Let the love of the Spirit fill us, and give us love and strength and hope, as the promise is from generation to generation. May our souls, likewise, magnify the Lord, as our spirits have rejoiced in God our Savior.

Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John

Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.

So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zecharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name 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, and shall rink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also 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 also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years." And the angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time." And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple. But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless. So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house.

Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, "Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people."

- Luke 1:1-25

As we move closer to Christmas, the readings shift. In the gospel of Matthew, we have reached the point (in Saturday's reading) in which Jesus prepares His disciples for the time in which we now live, the time in which we await His return. He has promised the disciples that He will return. He has told several parables, teaching them watchfulness, expectation, and what it is to be good servants in the Master's absence. In Saturday's reading, He spoke not another parable, but of the Judgment that will happen upon His return. Like sheep and goats, all will be separated -- to His right hand and left. What is the criterion? "I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me." Then the righteous will ask, "When did we do these things?" And the King will answer and say to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me."

Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed. Today the lectionary takes us to the beginning of Luke's gospel. Luke makes it clear that His intent is to write down the things heard directly from eyewitnesses and ministers of the word as they were delivered "to us" -- to those in the early Church. Theophilus was a prominent Gentile who had received Christian instruction. Luke's gospel is therefore a "testimony to the testimony" of the eyewitnesses, the disciples who had known Jesus directly.

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years. Luke, making a complete record, is the only evangelist who teaches us about the birth of John the Baptist. We note that both Zacharias and Elizabeth come from the lineage of the priests of Israel. They are both "blameless" and "righteous" people. However, they suffer socially: Elizabeth is barren. Over and over again, the Old Testament tells us of such women, who become the mothers of great holy figures: Sarah, Rebekah, Hannah, and others. Their advanced age, their state of righteousness despite social "reproach," is a testimony to their faith.

So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. My study bible notes: "Each priest was assigned to a division. There were 24 divisions in all, each serving a week at a time by rotation. [Zacharias is of the division of Abijah.] The responsibilities of the priests in the division were decided by lot."

And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zecharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name 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, and shall rink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also 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 also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." The first thing we notice is that "fear fell upon Zacharias" and the angel told him, "Do not be afraid." This will be important to note a little further along in this story. From the angel's words, we understand that Zacharias has prayed for a son. The name John means "the grace of God." John will be a special child, set apart for the Lord. He will become a prophet like the great prophets of the Old Testament. Jesus will call him the greatest among the prophets. He has a mission, to prepare the people for the Lord. As my study bible notes, "Elijah, one of the greatest prophets of Israel, was expected to reappear from heaven in order to anoint the Messiah."

And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years." And the angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time." And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple. But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless. So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house. My study bible notes, "Zacharias' question indicates a lack of complete faith in God's promise. Compare this with Abram's response when he was promised a son" 'he believed in the Lord" (Gen. 15:3-6). . . . Losing his speech serves both as discipline for Zacharias's unbelief and as a sign of the truth of Gabriel's announcement." What we note in Zacharias's fearful and troubled approach is a hint of something we commented on in the readings from last week: the fearful servant who his his talents instead of expanding them and creating yield from them. So much of the stories in both Old and New Testaments are illustrations about faith, and especially our capacity for faith. Human beings are not perfect -- rather it is a capacity for a faith relationship with God that seems to bear out the holy figures that shape this religious history. Often, the figures of the Bible bear out the growth of such faith and the relationship to God. The failure to receive such grace may spur a rebuke, correction, or temporary setback, if only to work to instruct and build this relationship. Gabriel "stands in the presence of God." Therefore His message is God's word to Zacharias. "Angel" means messenger in the Greek. John the Baptist will also be a messenger (in icons of the Eastern Church, he is often depicted with wings to denote this identity). And so, of course, is this gospel, a testimony to the word of the messengers who were the apostles.

Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, "Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people." Elizabeth is thus blessed, and her "reproach among people" is taken away. We are careful to note that faith does not depend upon outcomes, and the opinions "among people." John the Baptist is a blessing (as we may consider all children), born by the grace of God.

God's love transcends all things, and so, as in this story, what God has given us may also be consecrated back to God. John the Baptist is truly a firstborn, one who will be in fact "set apart" for the things of God. He will be the greatest among the prophets, and come "in the spirit and power of Elijah" to prepare the people for the Lord. He will be a towering figure among his own people and in his own time, widely revered as a holy man. But he will also suffer for the Lord. As we begin these readings leading to the day we celebrate the birth of Christ, let us consider today the announcement of Gabriel, the good news of the gospel. Let us remember all the "ministers of the word" that has been delivered to us, and think of the message of John the Baptist. Before his birth, the great announcement came, directly from the extraordinary messenger, Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God. He brings Zacharias "glad tidings" and was sent (the root meaning of the word "apostle") for this purpose. So over and over again, the gospels bear witness to this message, these glad tidings, as we begin over again the story of Christ's birth. In the Greek, there is one word Gabriel uses to describe his mission: "evangelizo" (εὐαγγελίζω) -- to bring good news. Let us remember the roots of the gospel, as we live again the report, direct from the one who stands in the presence of God, of the glad tidings we celebrate this week. As Elizabeth and Zacharias, can we grasp the blessing given to each of us?

Anna the prophetess

Maestà: The Presentation in the Temple - Duccio di Buoninsegna

Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

- Luke 2:36-38

For today's reading I am continuing with Christmastide as a theme, and I have chosen Luke's Gospel section regarding Anna the Prophetess. This reading follows the verses about Simeon and his beautiful inspired Canticle (see Nunc Dimittis - Simeon's Song).

I find these verses quite poetic, and their inclusion in Luke's Gospel a wonderful part of our tradition. First we have Simeon, who as an aged man has awaited all of his life the Consolation of Israel. We were told that "it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ." So we have an elderly man, looking toward the light of the Christ, whose hope is fulfilled in the temple. And also in the temple is Anna, the subject of today's reading.

Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years. . . Like Simeon, Anna is also aged. We are told "she was of great age." Also like Simeon, she is touched by the Holy Spirit - she is a prophetess. She fulfills, therefore, a special role in the great economy of God. Her age and her circumstances would deeply limit that role in human social circles: she had been married but seven years, a widow for eighty-four! Yet, Anna plays an important role. Moreoever, we are told she is the daughter of Phanuel. While we do not know about Anna's father, we understand the name, which means "Face of God." In the Book of Enoch, Phanuel is a name given to an archangel. And Asher means "Happy." So, with this brief information, in a setting in which all names are important and filled with meaning, we are given some great hints about Anna. And there is poetry in these hints, because from her external circumstances, the information we understand is quite different in contrast to these meanings in the names. She is extremely aged and hasn't been a part of family life for eighty-four years - and therefore not ranking very much in a social sense. She is of the tribe of Asher. Asher was considered one of the Ten Lost tribes of Israel since the Assyrian Conquest. So, given her personal circumstances, Anna is "lost" in terms of secular community life both as an individual woman and as a member of the tribe of Asher.

But if we put this information together, we are given a great picture of the reality of God's blessings and work in the world. The name of Phanuel, reminding us of an archangel called the "Face of God," gives us a hint about Anna in relation to the Gospels. In Matthew's Gospel, we are told the story of Jesus teaching His disciples to come before God "as little children" and practice humility before God. Jesus says, "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven." Anna, of great age, is one of those who come before God in humility, whose angel always sees the face of "my Father who is in heaven." Rather than simply a woman of great age, Anna is in fact one of the "little ones" whom Jesus praises. And rather than being "lost" and without a family, we are told that Anna serves a great function.

. . .who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. My study bible notes that "God reveals Himself to those who do not depart from Him. This woman has served God for many years, and she is prepared to meet her Messiah. For the elderly and lonely who wonder what they can do to serve God, Anna's fastings and prayers are a wonderful example." Anna is a stunning example of how all belong to the family of God, an illustration of a repeated teaching in the Gospels - that those who may be excluded from the social structures are always included at the table of God, and particularly illustrated here, in the home of God. Anna has a function and an important role, and she is rewarded for this role.

And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. Because she is there, always serving in the temple, she is ready for the great blessing, the gift of the Christ in the Child who is in the temple on this day of Dedication. Like Simeon, she is blessed with this revelation in her old age, and it gives her one more new and important role to play: she went out and "spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem." Anna becomes an evangelist, spreading the good news.

"Anna" is also the name "Hannah" in the Hebrew, and it means "favored one." So, Anna the prophetess becomes another "favored woman" of the bible. The Hannah before her was childless and well into old age, a beloved and devoted wife, when God favored her with her child Samuel. Mary's Magnificat, the inspired prayer that begins, "My soul magnifies the Lord" is a reflection of Hannah's before her. Anna and Mary meet in the temple, the mother of the Babe and the woman of great age who has served and waited upon God night and day. But in this scene, the Child becomes the Child for both of them. He is the Child that both of them have been awaiting. Just as He is the Consolation for Simeon, so He is also the good news for Anna. In this story, we have the good news for all the people, but especially for the outcast, whose shame consists in some form of social failure. As Elizabeth puts it, "Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people." There is no "outcast" with God, but only those who are like the beautiful "little ones" whose angels always behold the face of God. They are the humble who serve, who have life and joy and consolation. The figures fill the bible in this image, from Hannah, to Elizabeth the mother of John the Baptist, to Anna the prophetess. All find hope in this Child. All are a part of the love of God, and the work of the Spirit is evident in the life of each one. In the "greatly aged" face of Anna, we imagine the joy that lights her eyes, and the gift of Life Itself brought to her by the Spirit, in her life of great service. (I love the figure of Anna, with her hand raised and the smile on her face, in the painting above.) May we all live with such consolation, and the joy of that light, and her good news. The Gospels bring us the great stories of these women, and we should understand them for the great blessings and good news they bear for each one of us, and to all who "look for redemption" today.

My soul magnifies the Lord

Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord."

And Mary said:

"My soul magnifies the Lord,

And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;

For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.

For He who is mighty has done great things for me,

And holy is His name.

And His mercy is on those who fear Him

From generation to generation.

He has shown strength with His arm;

He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He has put down the mighty from their thrones,

And exalted the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

And the rich He has sent away empty.

He has helped His servant Israel,

In remembrance of His mercy,

As He spoke to our fathers,

To Abraham and to his seed forever."

And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.

- Luke 1:39-56

In yesterday's reading, we read of the angel Gabriel appearing to Mary, the kinswoman of Elizabeth. Gabriel tells Mary: "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" And he goes on to tell her that she will bear a son, who shall be called Jesus ("God is salvation"). Mary wonders how this can be, and Gabriel tells her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible."

Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth is in the sixth month of her pregnancy, and Mary has just been made aware of what is to come - her own pregnancy. My study bible says here: "The babe, John the Baptist in his sixth month of gestation, leaped in her womb (see v. 15) as a joyous response to the presence of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, in Mary's womb." In the Eastern church, there is a traditional perspective on Mary during her pregnancy with Jesus, that she contained the whole universe in her womb, as she carried the incarnation of its Creator. This scene teaches us of relatedness and ties - these are kinswomen, but at the same time the Holy Spirit works to unite them all in understanding and purpose and spiritual truth. Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit by the very greeting of Mary.

Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!" A note in my study bible says, "Mary receives veneration from both angels and humans. For as did Gabriel (v. 28), Elizabeth also calls Mary blessed. Mary is the model of womanhood. None other has ever received the glory given to her, either in Scripture or in Church history." The "filling of the Holy Spirit" gives Elizabeth an immediate understanding. There is a palpable sense here of touch, of contact, and by that contact the gifts of the Holy Spirit of wisdom and knowledge that fills both women and contains their relationship with one another, and in the great drama for the whole world that is to come, in which each of their sons will play a part.

"But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" A note here reads: "Mary is confessed as the mother of my Lord by Elizabeth. This was no mere man Mary carried. The title 'Theotokos' (the mother of God), given to the Virgin Mary by the Church, was derived from the truth of this confession. For unless that One in her womb was God, the world is still enslaved to sin." Mary's understanding - given to her by Gabriel - is echoed here in the words of Elizabeth, who perceives according to the Holy Spirit. The amazing contact, touch, extension and illumination of the Spirit in this scene is a model of our understanding of the power of this Spirit and how He works with us, among us.

"For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord." Elizabeth confirms what Mary has been told by Gabriel. Filled with the Holy Spirit, she communicates to Mary and shares with her the good news from God. The Holy Spirit creates this connectedness between us, works this way among us -- these two women, bearing two babes, show us the way.

And Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy, As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever." And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house. My study bible has a long note which I will quote on this passage: "This passage (called the Magnificat, the first word of this song in Latin) is a remarkable hymn of praise to God. It comes from the heart of Mary, who was probably only 16 or 17 years old at the time, but also from Hannah, advanced in years, who first uttered this inspired prayer (1 Sam. 2:1-10), which had been prayed by expectant Jewish mothers for centuries. From this New Testament passage we learn: (1) Christian believers for all time will honor or venerate the Virgin, for all generations will call me blessed (v. 48). . . . (2) Identity between Mary and Israel is implicit here as the Israel of God, the Church, receives His mercy (v. 54). (3) The reign of God is over (a) our hearts (v. 51), (b) kings and rulers (v. 52), (3) the poor (v. 52) and the rich (v. 55), and (d) the faithful of God (v. 54)."

I see in this wonderful prayer the connection to the whole history of Israel, the people of God, as it echoes the prayer of Hannah. The Holy Spirit creates ties not only among those who share their lives as contemporaries, but extends through time to connect us even to others through experience, meaning, learning, understanding. And it extends not only through the past and those who have come before, but into the future: "henceforth all generations will call me blessed." For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation. There is an action of mercy, a lifting up of the state of the humble who serve - and an extension: this mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly. This mercy overturns the order of things: the arrogant and conceited are knocked from their places, while the lowly are lifted up. God's strength becomes the strength of the meek and humble; in God's mercy His power is shared with those who love Him. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. God fills those who are empty, and sends away those who do not and cannot share that mercy themselves. It is an overturning of the order - and those who hunger and thirst for this righteousness and mercy are filled, just as Elizabeth and Mary are filled with the Holy Spirit. He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy, As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever. Again, the story of these women is reflected in the whole of the people of Israel, those who serve God, and the Spirit extends its connection throughout the whole of this history, as it is connected throughout all of the Scripture and the Good News. Mary's connection, then, is not merely with her kinswoman Elizabeth and not merely through the ties that will bind their sons in this central historical drama of the Scriptures, but it is with all of us, and all of history. The Holy Spirit does His work in all of us, for each of us, and this story is truly for each of us as well. When we seek to pray and enter in dialogue with our Creator, this story is for all of us, for each of us, and the ties that this Spirit builds extend through each of us, and throughout our spiritual history, and into the future and those who are to come and choose also to be a part of this reality, to be filled with the good things of this Spirit. We are all the "living stones" who fill the earth with the connectedness of this Spirit and the communion and communication He creates among us, within us. All contained in Mary's womb is this universe of creativity and power, that will shake up our world, and fill us with good things. How do you contain that magnitude of gift within yourself? How do you share it with the world, with others? With whom do you make that connection, as did Mary and Elizabeth? Let prayer be the action of the Spirit for you today, and take notice of what happens, and how you feel connected in His work. "My soul magnifies the Lord," Mary said. Truly, so may we all.

Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.

So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zecharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name 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, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also 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 also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years." And the angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time."

And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple. But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.

So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house. Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, "Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people."

- Luke 1:5-25

In yesterday's reading, the lectionary took us to John chapter 5. Jesus was speaking to the temple leadership, who at that point in the Gospel were seeking to persecute Him. Jesus gave four different witnesses who testify to Him and to His identity and authority: God the Father, John the Baptist, the works that Jesus Himself performs in His ministry which are of the Father, and the Scriptures of the Old Testament through which Moses gave his testimony. The central question of authority is significant to Jesus' conflict with temple leadership -- Jesus says that His will is not His own, but rather He does the Father's will. He says, "I do not receive honor from men. But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from only God?"

In today's reading, the lectionary takes us to the story of the parents of John the Baptist, Zacharias and Elizabeth. There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years. As this is a reading from Luke's Gospel, there is once again the distinctive historical reference that corresponds to all the events he reports. My study bible notes that, "Zacharias and Elizabeth are a righteous couple of a priestly lineage, living always to fulfill God's will. But Elizabeth, like other well-known women of the Bible -- Sarah (Gen. 16:1), Rebekah (Gen. 25:21), Hannah (1 Sam 1:2) and others -- is barren, which was a public reproach (v. 25)." Elizabeth, we are told, is not only barren, but they are both well advanced in years - making it all the more unlikely they should conceive a child.

So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. My study bible teaches that "each priest was assigned to a division (v. 8; see 1 Chr. 23:3-6; 28:13). There were 24 divisions in all, each serving a week at a time by rotation. The responsibilities of the priests in the division were decided by lot (v. 9)." As they are from a priestly lineage, it is a part of his heritage to fulfill this duty; it is a reinforcement of the devout character of this couple.

And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zecharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John." I quite like this fact we're given here in the story, that the "whole multitude of the people were praying outside" at this hour of incense, when Zacharias' duty is to burn the incense. It gives us a hushed scene of devout prayer, in which is set this great answer to prayer. A note reads, "Zacharias has prayed often for a son and now his prayer is answered. The angel (Gabriel, v. 19) promises a son who will be named John, meaning 'the grace of God.'" Incense is symbolic of prayer that rises to God and is pleasing: "May my prayer rise before you like incense" Psalm 141:2.

"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, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also 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 also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." My study bible comments, "Note the description of the character and role of John the Baptist as an ascetic prophet who is to prepare the Jewish people for the coming of the Messiah. Elijah (v. 17), one of the greatest prophets of Israel, was expected to reappear from heaven in order to anoint the Messiah." We know that Jesus will teach that John is the return of the spirit of Elijah, who announces and heralds the Messiah. This prophecy (including the quotation) is from Malachi 4:5,6. John, of course, will preach repentance and divine justice in preparation for the Messiah. This devout couple will produce a son who is wholly dedicated to the Lord, and will live his life as the greatest among the prophets.

And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years." A note reads, "Zacharias' question indicates a lack of complete faith in God's promise. Compare this with Abram's response when he was promised a son: 'he believed in the LORD' (Gen. 15:3-6)." What is the nature of faith? When we are confronted with a powerful revelation in Spirit, where do we find our truth?

And the angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time." A note in my study bible says that "losing his speech serves both as discipline for Zacharias' unbelief and as a sign of the truth of Gabriel's announcement." What is it to stand in the presence of the holy, even an angel such as Gabriel? The hallowed setting of the temple, and Zecharias' duties at the hour of incense, the people at prayer outside, all give us a setting for the holy -- Zecharias is standing in a holy place and has a visitation from this great angel of Annunciation. It is a place where faith connects our reality to the holiness of God. How do we receive it as we stand in that place?

And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple. But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless. In the midst of the gathering of those at prayer, it's clear that something tremendous has happened. We witness, through Luke's Gospel, the power of the holy, and the effect of our response to it.

So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house. Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, "Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people." Elizabeth is as devoted to God as is her husband. As does Mary, the mother of Jesus, she accepts wholeheartedly the gift of God. As Zecharias stepped into the community of the people, who then understood he had had a vision in the temple, so Elizabeth steps into community too, with grace. "Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people."

In some sense, our Christmas story begins here, with the story of Elizabeth and Zacharias. The conception of John the Baptist begins the dawn of the light that is to come. As Christmas approaches, we can think about the kind of preparation involved in this great event, the great light of Christ, who will call Himself the light of the world. This is a bridge between the old covenant and the new. John the Baptist, born of devout parents, whose birth is announced by Gabriel to his father as he takes his turn to burn the incense in the temple, is the last in a line of prophets, and the greatest among them. It is he who will announce the Messiah, and prepare the people for this shattering, world-changing event. Let us remember what it is to stand in the presence of the holy, to be made a promise, and how to receive a gift. Christ will be our gift of grace, for the whole world. How do we receive Him, the light that is to come? What careful preparation has gone into the planning of that gift of grace so that you may receive it? How do you accept it and prepare for the light of the Incarnation? Once again, we return to humble - even the most unlikely - circumstances out of which great holy things are born. We prepare with prayer and devotion. Yet - are we ready?