Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard.”

Gospel Reading: Luke 1:5-17

In the days of Herod, King of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah of the priestly division of Abijah; his wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Both were righteous in the eyes of God, observing all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren and both were advanced in years. Once when he was serving as priest in his division’s turn before God, according to the practice of the priestly service, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense. Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside at the hour of the incense offering, the angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right of the altar of incense. Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. John will drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb, and he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn their hearts toward their children and the disobedient to the understanding of the  righteous, to prepare a people fit for the Lord.”

Today is the Solemnity of the Nativity of John the Baptist.  During this feast, we celebrate the birth of John the Baptist.  John has a very special role in our salvation history.  He was the chosen profit who made ready the way of the Lord.  For a Jew not to have off spring was considered a punishment from God.  Zechariah, a high priest continued to pray for a child to carry on the family.  He never lost hope that he and his wife could have a child, even in the advanced years, he continued to pray.  God eventually answers their prayers.  He is told not to be afraid because his prayer has been answered.  The angel goes further to say that “you will have joy and gladness.”  So why would they have joy and gladness.  Their son would be persecuted and eventually executed for his devote service to God.  The joy and gladness comes from the fact that they feel complete.  The joy and gladness comes from the fact that they will be in service to the Lord.  We too are called to be in service to the Lord.  When we pray to be his humble servant, we are really praying for joy and gladness knowing that we are fulfilling the will of God.  Our ultimate joy comes when we fulfill what God wants to do.  When he answers our prayer, we know that this is what God wants us to do.  We also learn from this reading that God answers our prayers on his time and not ours.  God knows what is best for and for our salvation.  He may not immediately answer our prayer and sometimes his answer is not now.  We must learn patience and humility.  We must learn to pray always.  In a truly devote pray life, we learn that God works his miracles precisely when they are needed and not before. 

A Simple Prayer

Lord, you are my master, help me to learn to pray.

Give me the patience to wait for your answer.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon