Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent
Lectionary: 199
Reading 1
Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24
Thus says the Lord GOD:
Lo, I am sending my messenger
to prepare the way before me;
And suddenly there will come to the temple
the LORD whom you seek,
And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire.
Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.
But who will endure the day of his coming?
And who can stand when he appears?
For he is like the refiner's fire,
or like the fuller's lye.
He will sit refining and purifying silver,
and he will purify the sons of Levi,
Refining them like gold or like silver
that they may offer due sacrifice to the LORD.
Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem
will please the LORD,
as in the days of old, as in years gone by.
Lo, I will send you
Elijah, the prophet,
Before the day of the LORD comes,
the great and terrible day,
To turn the hearts of the fathers to their children,
and the hearts of the children to their fathers,
Lest I come and strike
the land with doom.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 25:4-5ab, 8-9, 10 and 14
R. (see Luke 21:28) Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
R. Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
he teaches the humble his way.
R. Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.
All the paths of the LORD are kindness and constancy
toward those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
The friendship of the LORD is with those who fear him,
and his covenant, for their instruction.
R. Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
O King of all nations and keystone of the Church:
come and save man, whom you formed from the dust!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Luke 1:57-66
When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child
she gave birth to a son.
Her neighbors and relatives heard
that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her,
and they rejoiced with her.
When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child,
they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,
but his mother said in reply,
"No. He will be called John."
But they answered her,
"There is no one among your relatives who has this name."
So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.
He asked for a tablet and wrote, "John is his name,"
and all were amazed.
Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,
and he spoke blessing God.
Then fear came upon all their neighbors,
and all these matters were discussed
throughout the hill country of Judea.
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.”
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
Zechariah’s Victory
Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God. Luke 1:64
This line reveals the happy conclusion to Zechariah’s initial failure to believe in what God revealed to him. Recall that nine months earlier, as Zechariah was fulfilling his priestly duty of offering sacrifice within the Holy of Holies in the Temple, he received a visit from the glorious Archangel Gabriel, who stands before God. Gabriel revealed to Zechariah the good news that his wife would conceive in her old age and that this child would be the one to prepare the people of Israel for the coming Messiah. What an incredible privilege that would have been! But Zechariah disbelieved. And as a result, the Archangel struck him mute for the nine months of his wife’s pregnancy.
The punishments of the Lord are always gifts of His grace. Zechariah was not punished out of spite, or for punitive reasons. Instead, this punishment was more like a penance. He was given the humbling penance of losing his ability to speak for nine months for a good reason. It appears as if God knew that Zechariah needed nine months to silently reflect upon what the Archangel had said. He needed nine months to ponder his wife’s miraculous pregnancy. And he needed nine months to ponder who this child would be. And those nine months produced the desired effect of a full conversion of heart.
After the child was born, it was expected that this firstborn son would be named after the father, Zechariah. But the Archangel had told Zechariah that the child was to be named John. Therefore, on the eighth day, the day of his son’s circumcision when he was presented to the Lord, Zechariah wrote on a tablet that the baby’s name was John. This was an act of faith and a sign that he had fully turned from disbelief to belief. And it was this act of faith that undid his prior doubt.
Every one of our lives will be marked by failures to believe on the deepest level of faith. For that reason, Zechariah is a model for us of how we are to deal with our failures. We deal with them by allowing the consequences of past failures to change us for the good. We learn from our mistakes and move forward with new resolutions. This is what Zechariah did, and this is what we must do if we wish to learn from his good example.
Reflect, today, upon any sin you have committed that has had painful consequences in your life. As you ponder that sin, the real question is where you go from here. Do you allow that past sin, or lack of faith, to dominate and control your life? Or do you use your past failures to make new resolutions and decisions for the future so as to learn from your mistakes? It takes courage, humility and strength to imitate the example of Zechariah. Seek to bring these virtues into your life this day.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
ZECHARIAH’S SCHOOL OF SILENCE
“At that moment his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God.” —Luke 1:64
St. Zechariah the priest had spent long years serving the Lord in the Temple. However, he failed his test when the archangel Gabriel appeared to him and announced the good news of answered prayer (Lk 1:13ff). Zechariah thus entered the school of listening to the Lord, a school of silence. To ensure that Zechariah would be attentive to his lessons, the archangel Gabriel removed his ability to speak (Lk 1:20, 62).
Zechariah’s first three months of school were elementary school. During his wife’s first trimester, Zechariah could not yet see the baby growing, but had to learn to cultivate faith. Months four through six of Zechariah’s school of silence were high school level lessons. He still couldn’t speak, but he could see his wife’s womb gradually stretching, and he too was stretched. Like his son in St. Elizabeth’s womb, Zechariah’s faith was growing.
For the final three months of Zechariah’s school of silence, the Blessed Virgin Mary arrived to teach the graduate school courses: listening, wisdom, trust, and obedience (Lk 1:56). Zechariah passed his final exam with highest honors by obeying the command of God to name his son John (Lk 1:13, 63). He regained his speech. Zechariah’s commencement address, his Benedictus, was a prophecy that has been repeated by the Church in Morning Prayer for centuries (Lk 1:68-79).
Zechariah’s silent schooling was forced because his faith in God was weak. It need not be that way with us. Come to God in silence each day and actively listen for His voice (see Lam 3:26).
Prayer: Father, make me a docile student in Your school of silence so that many might learn of Your love through me.
Promise: “The friendship of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and His covenant, for their instruction.” —Ps 25:14
Praise: “O Emmanuel, King and Lawgiver, Desire of the nations, Savior of all people, come and set us free, Lord our God.”
Reflection 3
The Servants of the Word
What Then Will This Child Be?
Are you surprised to see the relatives of Zechariah and Elizabeth disagreeing over what to name their newborn child? Don't we do the same thing? This child, however has been named from above! And Elizabeth is firm in her faith and determined to see that God be glorified through this child. The name John means "the Lord is gracious." In the birth of John the Baptist and in the birth of Jesus the Messiah we see the grace and favor of God breaking forth into a world broken by sin, corruption, and death - a world lost without hope.
The Old Testament prophets foretold the return of the prophet Elijah (Malachi 3:1, and 4:5) who would announce the coming of the Messiah - the Savior and Ruler of the earth. John the Baptist fulfills the role of Elijah (Matthew 11:13-14). His miraculous birth shows the mercy and favor of God in preparing his people for the coming of its Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
When God acts to save us he graciously fills us with his Holy Spirit and makes our faith come "alive" to his promises. When we respond to his word with trust the Lord fills us with the joy of the Holy Spirit and renews our hope and gratitude for the mercy and gift of new life and salvation he gives us through Jesus Christ. Do you make your life an offering of thanksgiving to God, along with your family and all that you have and hope to accomplish? God wants to fill us with the joy of his saving presence all the days of our lives, from birth through death. Renew the offering of your life to God and give him thanks for his mercy and favor towards you.
Prayers
Lord, I know I lack faith in my life. I fail to believe all that You speak to me. As a result, I often fail to put Your words into action. Dear Lord, when I suffer as a result of my weakness, help me to know that this and all suffering can result in giving glory to You if I renew my faith. Help me, like Zechariah, to return to You always, and use me as an instrument of Your manifest glory. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, you are gracious and forgiving towards us. Renew in me the gift of faith that I may believe your promises and obey your word.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 357: The Promptings of Grace
When someone is troubled, you may shy away from them. It’s easy to think that engaging them will impose a heavy burden on your time and energy. But if the Lord is the one directing your conversation, He can do amazing things in a short while. Sure, there are times when love demands many hours of care, but often times a few words, a listening ear, or a gentle smile will do more for a person in need than you could ever imagine (See Diary #1736).
Reflect upon the fact that God is able to accomplish amazing things with very little effort on your part. All it takes is a willing response to the gentle promptings of His Heart so as to speak a kind word, listen to a burdened heart, or offer a work of charity. If it’s done as a result of the promptings of the Holy Spirit, it will be amazingly simple, delightful and well worth the effort. Ponder how well you listen to the daily inspirations of the Holy Spirit and seek to act the next time you are moved to do so.
Lord, I pray that I will always be ready and willing to act as an instrument of Your Mercy. Please inspire me, dear Lord, to act on the promptings that You send me, and help me to express Your love to others in the simplest of ways. Jesus, I trust in You.
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