Stunned to Silence

Today was the Solemnity of the Birth of St. John the Baptist. The sponsoring Parish was Our Lady of Guadalupe, which is the city's second oldest parish.

Zachariah was stunned and speechless when he learned he was going to be a father. This wasn't all that unusual as we are all often stunned silent in our lives. We are so overjoyed with excitement we often cannot find the words to express how we feel. This was how it was for Zachariah.

When God fills us with good things, often we find ourselves surprised, content and feeling speechless. Sometimes we don't even find ourselves worthy of God's gifts and graces.

We should rejoice in God-- remember that he is always there to lift us up when we feel lowly or helpless. We could give up, as we often do-- as Zachariah and Elizabeth did-- they had come to accept the fate that they would never have a child. We learn to accept similar realities in our lives, only to be stunned silent by the generosity of our gracious God.

God can and will heal our spirit and he will never leave us, despite the fact we leave Him. Remember we are the ones who leave God, we get angry with him, lose patience and abandon HIm. He, however, waits patiently for us and he loves us fully and unconditionally. God's love never fails us and perhaps that is why we sometimes find ourselves speechless as we marvel at the wonder and awesome nature that is Our God.

The canticle of Zacarhiah should remind us how wonderful God is and we should always honor our God.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,

for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption.

He has raised up the sign of salvation

in the house of his servant David,

as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones,

his prophets through the ages:

to rescue us from our enemies

and all who hate us,

to take pity on our fathers,

to remember his holy covenant

and the oath he swore to Abraham our father,

that he would give himself to us,

that we could serve him without fear

– freed from the hands of our enemies –

in uprightness and holiness before him,

for all of our days.

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High:

for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path,

to let his people know their salvation,

so that their sins may be forgiven.

Through the bottomless mercy of our God,

one born on high will visit us

to give light to those who walk in darkness,

who live in the shadow of death;

to lead our feet in the path of peace.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Luke 1: 68-79



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