Friday of the Third Week of Advent
There are a number of instances in the Bible where elderly women who never bore a child were, through God’s grace, blessed with a child. In today’s first reading, it is revealed that the wife of Manoah is sterile. In the ancient world, this was considered a great curse for a married woman, often leading her to be outcasted by society. However, an angel of the Lord appeared to her. She heard the wonderful words, “Though you are barren and have had no children, yet you will conceive and bear a son.” Although the woman may have been initially scared by the angel, she was moved by her faith and when the child was born, she named him Samson. This son, who would be dedicated to God, had a special role to play. “The boy grew up and the Lord blessed him; the Spirit of the Lord stirred him.”
In today’s gospel from St. Luke, the angel Gabriel visited Zechariah, a priest in the temple of Jerusalem. It was revealed to him that his wife, the elderly Elizabeth, would be blessed with a son, who would be John the Baptist. Zechariah had been praying for a child for years, yet when Gabriel delivers the answer to his prayer, he wants evidence. Zechariah said, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” Despite all his prayer, and reassurance from the angel, Zechariah is unable to fully put his trust and faith in God. As a consequence, he was unable to speak at all. When he completed his ministry and went home, he was met by Elizabeth who had a much different reaction to the news. Like Samson’s mother, Elizabeth had no difficulty in acknowledging the source the new life in her womb. “So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit to take away my disgrace before others.” Elizabeth herself had believed, and because of her faith, God fulfilled the angel’s prophesy.
As we continue on our Advent journey, let us reflect on our lives and ask, what are the areas in our lives that feel barren and empty? When we are experiencing doubt and difficulty, we know we can turn to God and ask for help. Just as God’s grace was bestowed to Samson’s mother and Elizabeth who were marginalized in society (and later to Zechariah in Luke’s gospel), so too, is God’s grace given to us. In the first reading and gospel, each couple longed for a child, but the lives they conceived were more than just answers to their prayers. The spirit of the Lord rested upon Samson and John, and they both entered the world in order to reveal the glory of God the Father. Today, let us reflect on our own calling by God. God finds favor in each one of us, and has called us to prepare the way for Jesus to come into our world today. In a slow and deliberate way, let us pray the words of the psalmist, “My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!"
—Jessica Gabrielli