Gospel (Lk 1:67-79)

And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying,

“Blessed be 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 from of old,
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 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,
through the tender mercy of our God,
when the day shall dawn upon 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.”

Commentary

Advent ends today. During these weeks we have been preparing for the joyous celebration of our Lord’s birth. In recent days, with the help of the evangelist Saint Luke, we have been considering the final stages before this astounding event. We have met the main protagonists in the first Christmas: the archangel Gabriel, Zechariah and Elizabeth, their son John, Joseph, and in a very special way Mary, the Mother of the Messiah who is about to be born.

The last episode that Saint Luke narrates before the story of Jesus’ birth features Zechariah, who, when he confirms the name requested by the angel, recovers his speech. Saint Ambrose remarked: “His tongue was loosed because, bound by unbelief, it was loosed by faith.” And he intones the Benedictus, a solemn prayer of thanksgiving and praise to God that expressed the great hope of pious Israelites in God’s ancient promises to his people. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel. With this expression, frequently found in the psalms, Zechariah, and we with him, gives thanks to God for his infinite mercy poured out on his people, by sending us the salvation brought by Christ. The announcements of the ancient prophets are about to be fulfilled. Salvation is at hand.

It is easy to imagine Zechariah’s holy pride, since his son was going to be the “prophet of the Most High.” During his nine months of silence, he would have often remembered the archangel’s words: “he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Lk 1:16-17). He now proclaims with joy: “you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God.”

Overflowing with joy at the imminent birth of the Son of God, today we see in Zechariah an example of humility, joyful conversion, firm hope in God and renewed confidence in his word.