Luke 1:57-66, 80

Isaiah 49:1-6

Psalm 139:1b-3, 13-14ab, 14c-15

Acts 13:22-26

Luke 1:57-66, 80

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.

The child grew and became strong in spirit,

and he was in the desert until the day

of his manifestation to Israel.

Opening Prayer: Lord God, you guide the course of history and know all things. You prepared your people to receive your Son as their Messiah and Redeemer and to receive the grace of the New Covenant. I welcome your Son today as my Lord and my God and ask humbly for the gift of your Spirit.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Three Months Have Passed: Three months have passed since we celebrated the Annunciation to Mary and the Incarnation of Jesus, the Son of God. Mary, we recall, did not remain in Nazareth but rose in haste to go to her cousin Elizabeth who was six months pregnant. For three months, Mary attended to the needs of her cousin and served with generous charity. Today, we celebrate the birth (nativity) of John. The name “Elizabeth” means “My God’s oath.” Her name and the line, “the Lord has shown great mercy toward her,” recall God’s covenant mercy and fidelity. “God has kept his word and his covenant with Elizabeth, and granted her a blessing as a faithful daughter of his people” (Bergsma, The Word of the Lord: Solemnities and Feasts, 310). The name of Elizabeth’s husband, Zechariah, means “YHWH has remembered.” His song praises God for his faithfulness. He proclaims that God’s covenant oaths to David about an everlasting throne and Abraham about a blessing for all nations will be fulfilled. “God’s covenant oath to Abraham (Gen 22:16-18) nears its fulfillment in the preparatory role played by John’s parents. Even their names symbolize that God remembers (Zechariah) his oath (Elizabeth) and will soon fulfill it through the mission of John and Jesus” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament, 108).

2. John and the Essenes: The last line of today’s Gospel passage tells us that John was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel. This points to the possibility that John joined the Essenes of Qumran, a community living in the desert near the Dead Sea. Where John began his ministry of baptism was within walking distance of Qumran. “Both John and the Qumranites placed great emphasis on washing with water in conjunction with repentance for sins” (Bergsma, Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls, 33). John seems to have extended baptism not only to Jewish men but also to women and even to Gentiles. Isaiah 40:3, which announced the voice in the wilderness preparing the way of the Lord, was important to both the Qumran community and to John. John claims that his baptism of repentance was only a preparation for the one who was to come after him. That John was sent as a child to the Essenes lines up with their practice of celibacy and of welcoming other persons’ children to be taught and form part of the community. Zechariah and Elizabeth were both from priestly families and older and could have entrusted John’s upbringing to the Essene community. It is possible he left the community when he disagreed with them about who would receive salvation. The Essenes seem to focus on the elite among Israel who would be saved by the coming Messiah. Through John’s study of Isaiah, “he eventually found himself at odds with the community that had formed him. For the prophet Isaiah clearly prophesied a coming salvation for all nations, in other words, all the Gentiles. … John was insistent that God’s message of salvation should go out to all the people, not just an elite among Israel – and the argument led to his expulsion from the community (Bergsma, Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls, 40-41).

3. Paul’s Preaching about John the Baptist: The Second Reading is taken from an important sermon Paul gave in the synagogue of Antioch of Pisidia (Acts 13:16-41). The theme of the sermon was the good news that the promises of the Davidic covenant were fulfilled by the Resurrection of Jesus. Paul first summarized Israel’s history and how God was faithful to his covenants. Israel was chosen by God to bless and redeem the nations, a purpose that God revealed to Abraham and began to fulfill through David. Paul asserted that the covenant promises made to David have been fulfilled: “God, according to his promise, has brought to Israel as savior, Jesus” (Acts 13:23) (see Pimentel, Witnesses of the Messiah, 117). Paul proclaims that John the Baptist’s ministry and baptism of repentance was a preparation for the salvation brought by Jesus. This salvation is extended and sent out to the whole world through the ministry of the Apostles. It is the salvation that we have graciously received.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you came to save all humanity. You call me to share in your mission and bring the Good News of salvation to everyone I encounter. Help me to overcome my fear to proclaim the Gospel in word and deed to my family, coworkers, and friends.

Living the Word of God: How am I living John the Baptist’s message of repentance? What am I still attached to that holds me back from loving God with all my heart, soul, and strength?