22
Dec
Dec
Reflection: Luke 1:57-66
God will not rest until he fulfils every one of his promises. Zachariah’s unusual encounter with God was an answer to his prayers to God for years. John’s birth was a sign of mercy that God showed to his people as Zachariah and Elizabeth experienced the extraordinary intervention of God. In the birth of John, meaning God is gracious, God’s graciousness begins to enter into this world and to visit the humanity in need of salvation. John lived true to his name and prepared a people to encounter the graciousness of God. Each of us is invited to play our part in the restoration of our families, strengthen our relationships, and remove barriers to peace and reconciliation and thus facilitate the gracious visit of the Lord into our midst. The encounter of Zachariah with God’s presence gives us a precious lesson. There is a time to be silent and a time to speak. Zechariah was struck dumb contemplating in silence the mystery the angel Gabriel had told him. It was time now to break the silence and to speak, revealing the name God spoke to him in secret: John. Zachariah’s family and friends gathered around him, ask a question: “What will this child become?” We know what did that child become. When God has given us life, he placed his life into us with a purpose and indeed, God’s hand is at work in us. It would be worthwhile to go into silence like Zachariah to reflect “What will this child become?” What will I do with this life that God has placed into my hands? In our life too, there are times when we need to be silent pondering in our heart in quiet contemplation what the Lord had shared with us letting our unbelief turn into belief. There comes a time, however, when the silence needs to be broken and we must speak, to proclaim what we have been treasuring in our heart. When Zechariah regained his speech his first words were in praise of God. “Silence is all we need to sing his praise!” Let us be silent before the great manifestation of God’s love in Jesus’ birth.