[Editor's Note:

The Gospel Reading from Luke 1:57-80, describing the birth of John the Baptist is given below. The commentary is given in italics to differentiate it from the scripture.]

Introduction

A cousin of Jesus, Saint John had the unique office of forerunner of the Messiah; an office which had been foretold in the Old Testament (Malachi 3:1). John began to fulfill this office in the desert of Judea, on the banks of the Jordan. Clothed in skins, reminiscent of Elijah, he announced to all men the obligation of washing away their sins with the tears of sincere penitence, and proclaimed the Messiah, who was about to make His appearance among them. He admonished all to charity and a reformation of their lives, and those who came to him in these dispositions he baptized in the river. The Jews practiced religious washings of the body as legal purifications, but no baptism before that of John had so great and mystical a significance. It chiefly represented the manner in which the souls of men must be cleansed from all sin to be made partakers of Christ's spiritual kingdom, and it was an emblem of the interior effects of sincere repentance; a type of that sacrament of baptism which was to come with our Lord. So noteworthy was this rite in Saint John's ministrations that it earned for him even in his own lifetime the signifying name of 'the baptizer.'

As we read the story of John's conception and birth, the motifs of the child of aged parents, the announcement of the birth by an angel, and the divinely chosen name echo the narratives of Abraham, Isaac, Samson and Samuel.

Gospel - Luke 1:57-80

This is Saint Luke's account of the birth of John the Baptist; an account which closely parallels his account of the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:1-20).

57 When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her.

In the Bible, God's omnipotence is most clearly revealed by the extent of His mercy.

59 When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child,

Leviticus 12:3 requires circumcision on the eighth day. By being circumcised, the child bears the mark which indicates that they are part of the covenant people of God. The ceremony of circumcision was a climactic moment when God and his people are covenanted in the perfect fulfillment of the promises on God's part and the perfect observance of the Law on Israel's part.

they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,

Naming a boy after his father was a custom in Israel at this time.

60 but his mother said in reply, 'He will be called John.'
61 But theyanswered her, 'There is no one among your relatives who has this name.'
62 So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.
63 He asked for a tablet and wrote, "John is his name," and all were amazed.

The name which had been given by the angel Gabriel in 1:13. The name means "Yahweh has shown favor," a name which symbolizes the role of Saint John in the redemptive plans of God.

64 Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God.

65 Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. 66 All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, "What, then, will this child be?"
For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.

The people's question prepares the reader for the future - a common stylistic device of Saint Luke.

67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,

The canticle of Zechariah (known as Benedictus) is given in verses 68-79.

68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,

69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;

70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:

71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;

72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;

73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,

74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,

75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

76 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;

77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,

78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,

79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

80 The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel.

When new babies are born, people always make a fuss over them. If you've ever had a baby brother or sister born into your family, you may have felt like your mom and dad forgot about you for a little while. However, the fuss that was made over your baby brother or sister was nothing compared to the one that was made over John the Baptist when he was born. Everybody was talking about it for miles around---a baby had been born to an old woman! Plus, an angel had appeared to the baby's father, who had been unable to speak for nine months! Everyone who heard about it knew that Zechariah and Elizabeth had a special son for whom God had a special plan.

The people of Israel had been given many laws by God, one of which concerned baby boys. All of them were supposed to be circumcised on the eighth day of their lives. To be circumcised means to have a little piece of skin removed from a boy's private parts. It hurts for a little while, but quickly heals like any other cut. All the Israelite boys were supposed to be circumcised in order to mark them as being God's people. It showed that they belonged to God.

Like all other baby boys in Israel, John the Baptist was circumcised on the eighth day of his life, and that is when he was given the name John according to the instructions of the angel who appeared to his father. John means "God is very kind."

On the day of John's circumcision, his father was suddenly able to speak once again, and the first thing he spoke was praise to God. Soon after, the Holy Spirit spoke through him in a beautiful prophecy. If you listened to it closely, you probably noticed that the prophecy was more about Jesus than John. That's because Jesus was a million times more important than John. John was only a man made great by God. Jesus was God. Zechariah's prophecy revealed that it was God's plan for John to prepare the way for Jesus to begin His ministry.

What did Zechariah's prophecy say regarding Jesus? It revealed that Jesus was God. It said that God would visit His people (see Luke 1:68).

When He visited, God would redeem His people (see Luke 1:68). In the New Testament, the word redeem means to purchase someone's freedom from being a slave. Before we were born again, we were slaves to selfishness, sin and Satan.

Zechariah's prophecy also revealed that Jesus would be a mighty Savior (see Luke 1:69). We needed someone to save us from the penalty for our sins: eternal separation from God in hell. Through our Savior, our sins have been forgiven because of God's wonderful mercy (see Luke 1:77-78).

That Savior would be a descendant of King David, just as God had promised David a thousand years before (see Luke 1:69b-70).

Jesus would also save God's people from their enemies. Through Jesus, we've already been saved from our spiritual enemies: Satan and his evil spirits. They can't control us as they used to. Now, as Zechariah said, we can serve God without fear of them (see Luke 1:74). And one day, all of God's people will be saved from their physical enemies, when we live in God's eternal kingdom. There won't be anyone there who hates us.

The truth that Jesus would bring to the people of the earth would be like light coming down from heaven. No longer would we have to stumble around in darkness, not knowing where we are going. His truth would guide us into peace (see Luke 1:79). Aren't you glad that Jesus came?

Q. Is there any evidence in today's reading that Zechariah was not only temporarily mute, but also temporarily deaf?

A. Yes. Read Luke 1:62 closely. If Zechariah had been able to hear, his friends and relatives wouldn't have needed to communicate to him "by making gestures."

Q. If you were unable to speak for nine months, what would be the first words out of your mouth when your speech was restored? Why?

Application: Isn't it amazing that God had a plan for John's life even before he was born? Did you know that, according to Ephesians 2:10, God also had a plan for our lives even before we were born? All of God's children are somewhat like John the Baptist. Like John, our main job is to get people ready to meet the Lord.

by Fr. Mark

John the Baptist and St. Mary

John the Baptist, while yet an infant hidden in Saint Elizabeth's womb, was the first to experience the sweet mediation of the Virgin Mother's Heart. It was the God-bearing Virgin's Heart, full of solicitude for her cousin Elizabeth, that moved her to "arise and go with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah" (cf. Lk 1:39). There the Mother of God bearing her Son beneath her Heart, "entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth" (Lk 1:40).

The Light of the Real Presence Shining in Her Eyes

This was, in a sense, the first mission of Mary: to carry the hidden Christ to the "little child" (Lk 1:76) destined to be the Friend of the Bridegroom (Jn 3:29), the Prophet of the Most High (Lk 1:76). With the flame of love burning in her Heart and the light of the real presence shining in her eyes, Mary "became in some way a "tabernacle" - the first "tabernacle" in history" (John Paul II, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, art. 55). With the arrival of the Virgin–Tabernacle enclosing within her the "Dayspring from on high" (Lk 1:78), John the Baptist was sanctified, washed clean of original sin, and quickened by the Holy Spirit.

Jubilation

The birth of John the Baptist was an occasion of jubilation. Having already been touched by the Heart of Mary, the Cause of our Joy, the Baptist comes into the world as the Herald of Joy. His prophetic ministry, even as he advances toward a cruel death, is illumined by a supernatural joy. "He who has the bride is the bridegroom; the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice; therefore this joy of mine is now full. He must increase, but I must decrease" (Jn 3:29–30).

The Infallible Sign of the Presence of God

For what gift does the Church make us ask in the Collect of tomorrow's solemnity? For "the grace of spiritual joys." Already by his birth, Saint John the Baptist teaches us that the first of these spiritual joys is a living, personal contact with the Immaculate Heart of Mary. At every moment, the Mother of God is ready to grace us with her presence. She comes always to reveal the Face of her Son, hidden now in the Eucharist as He was hidden in the tabernacle of her womb when she visited Elizabeth. The fruit of that mysterious encounter between the Infant Christ and the Infant Forerunner had the unmistakable taste of divine joy, the joy that Blessed Abbot Marmion called "the infallible sign of the presence of God."

Virgin Mary, Jesus and John the Baptist - Painting by Botticelli

Blood and Roses

Look at this marvelous painting by Botticelli depicting the Mother of God, the Child Jesus and His little cousin, the Baptist. What I find most striking is that at the very center of the painting is the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The Virgin is holding her Child; he appears heavy in her arms. She bows low to allow the little Baptist to give her Jesus a hug and a kiss. The small boys appear to be about two years old. The Baptist has to stretch to reach the Face of Jesus; he is already dressed in his desert garb and carrying his little wooden staff. The top of the staff has the form of the Cross; the Cross thus appears directly over the head of the Infant Christ, a portent of His sacrifice. The Mother of God wears a blood red gown; something about her posture suggests an outpouring of blood, an effusion of the heart. Just behind the Virgin is a rose bush in full bloom: a symbol - yes, you guessed it - of spiritual joys.

Let Me Give Thy Son a Kiss

More than my words ever could, Botticelli's painting suggests that the mission of Mary is to introduce all of us, as she did the little Baptist, into a reverent and tender intimacy with her Son. The Mother of God bends over each of us, her garments dyed red in the Blood that flowed on Calvary, the very Blood that won for us every spiritual joy. Where the Mother of God is present, there charity is poured out and there spiritual joys abound. Put yourself today in the position of the child John the Baptist. Ask the Blessed Virgin to let you embrace her Son and offer Him a kiss. Her Immaculate Heart will not refuse you this.

by Rev. Charles Henrickson

Gospel: Luke 1:57-80

We continue our Advent journey, heading toward Christmas. Today we see John preparing the way for Jesus even in his birth.

And John's father, Zechariah, has a song to sing about this, a song of praise to God for the birth of his son. This poetic piece is called the "Benedictus," "Benedictus" being the Latin word for "Blessed," which is how the canticle begins: "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel," etc. Today we want to find out why Zechariah is praising the Lord God of Israel so, what his song is saying, and how Zechariah's song can be our song, too.

First, though, let's back up a bit. Who is this guy Zechariah, and what's the big deal about his being the father of John? Well, this fellow Zechariah was a priest serving in the temple in Jerusalem. One day he was in there, doing his priest thing, when all of a sudden an angel appears to him. "Whoa! This is different!" thinks Zechariah. People in the Bible generally are scared a bit when they encounter an angel, so the angel says, "Don't be afraid, Zechariah. I've got some good news for you. You know how you and your wife have always wanted to have a child, and you couldn't, because she wasn't able to have kids, and now you two are too old anyway? Well, guess what? Now you can, and you will! It's going to be a boy, and you're going to name him John. And God's going to have a special assignment for him."

The angel continues and tells Zechariah more about what God's calling will be on his son John's life: "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, and he will 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 for the Lord a people prepared."

Now this is a tall order for a little baby who hasn't even been born yet. Zechariah is having a little trouble taking all this in. Well, to be honest, he even doubts the angel's words. And so the angel, whose name is Gabriel, tells Zechariah he's going to be unable to speak for a while, until the child is born. Which is what happens.

Now we fast-forward nine months, and John indeed is born. God's word to Zechariah has been fulfilled. And now Zechariah's mouth is opened, his tongue is loosed, and he begins to praise God with this song we call the Benedictus. Zechariah has not been able to speak for nine months, but now he's got a mouthful to say, and it's all good. Zechariah is filled with the Holy Spirit, and he prophesies about what the birth of this child John means.

But the first half of the Benedictus does not deal with John per se. Instead, it deals with the broader picture, with God's overall plan. Zechariah starts out like this: "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people." Well, that's good. When the Lord "visits" his people, that means he comes down and gets personally involved in their welfare. And when he "redeems" his people, that means he takes action to set them free. That the Lord has visited and redeemed his people is certainly something to praise God for.

Can we say that, too, what Zechariah said, that God has visited and redeemed us? Yes, I believe we can. As we shall see.

Zechariah continues: "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 from of old, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us." A "horn" of salvation is a very biblical way to talk. The horn was a symbol of strength, like a ram's horn--although our Rams, the football team with the horn on the helmet, don't always seem so powerful. But a horn of salvation, as here, would be a very powerful instrument that the Lord has raised up to come to the rescue of his people.

And Zechariah says that the Lord has raised up such a horn now "in the house of his servant David." The house of David was the royal line of that old king, the line from which Israel's kings were to come, as prophesied so long ago. That royal line had been dormant for some centuries now. No Davidic king had actively reigned in Israel for hundreds of years. But the genealogical line was still producing descendants from the house of David--plenty of descendants, just no kings coming up. But now Zechariah, inspired by the Holy Spirit, says that has changed now. He can't be referring to his own son, John. Since Zechariah was a priest, that means he was from the tribe of Levi, not the tribe of Judah, from which the royal house of David came. But somehow Zechariah is connecting the birth of his son John with the arrival of the great Davidic king, prophesied to be the Messiah who would be that mighty horn of salvation. What's the connection? Well, after the birth of John, about six months later, there would be another baby boy born, and that one would be from the house of David.

Zechariah continues: "to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that 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 our days." Zechariah moves from the prophecy about David to God's promise to Abraham. Abraham came first, of course. The whole nation of Israel descends from him. The Lord God had made a covenant with Abraham. This covenant was a solemn promise God made when he chose Abraham and promised to make of him a great nation. The Lord promised to bless Abraham and to make him a blessing. And the Lord told Abraham that in him--that is, in his seed, in his offspring--all the nations of the earth would be blessed. And now that promise is coming to fruition. Again, not in the birth of John himself, but insofar as John would prepare the way of the one coming after him, the next baby to be born, Jesus.

Now after this first half of the Benedictus, which deals with the big picture of what God is doing, starting with the birth of John but going on to bigger things--now in the second half of the Benedictus, father Zechariah turns to his infant son and has some words specifically directed to him. He says: "And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

Parents may have certain hopes and dreams for their children when they are born, that they would grow up to do this or that, to take up a certain profession, to take over the family business, etc. But in baby John's case, father Zechariah had already received from the Lord a specific job description that his son would carry out. And what a special job it is! To be the forerunner of the Lord. To go before him to prepare his way. This is exactly what the adult John the Baptist would do. He came preaching salvation and the forgiveness of sins. He brought the tender mercy of God to his people by pointing people to the one coming after him, the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Christ himself is the one bringing light into our darkness, the light that dispels the shadow of death.

What is that darkness, that deep dark shadow? It is the darkness of sin and death--the deadly, willful ignorance that we sinners have according to our fallen nature, that we do not know God aright or do his will as we ought. And that's where we would be stuck, were it not for the coming of Christ, whose way John prepared and whose arrival John announced.

But now Christ has come, and with him all of these wonderful things spoken of by Zechariah in the Benedictus, all the things John the Baptist heralded--all these have come to us in the person of Christ: redemption, salvation, the forgiveness of sins, the tender mercy of our God, the light that conquers darkness and death, and our feet being guided in the way of peace. What a marvelous treasure trove of blessing and God's gifts are packed into this Benedictus! Zechariah foresaw it and sang about it, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, who revealed this to him. Baby John grew up and carried out his mission, to set the stage for the coming of the Christ.

And Jesus, of course, fulfilled it. He has redeemed us with his holy precious blood, setting us free from our bondage to sin and death. In him we have redemption, the forgiveness of our sins. God has had mercy upon us and has given his only Son to die for us and for his sake forgives us all our sins. We have the light of the knowledge of God shining in our hearts, the Holy Spirit giving us the gift of faith through the preaching of the gospel. This is the light that dispels our darkness. This is the light of life that conquers death. Jesus Christ, risen from the dead--Jesus Christ is the light of the world, the light no darkness can overcome.