(Optional Memorial for Saint John of Kenty, Priest)
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| “The Birth of St John the Baptist” by Luca Signorelli, 1485-90 |
Readings for December 23[1][2]
Commentary:
Reading 1 Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24
Commentary on 1 Mal 3:1-4, 23-24
“My messenger . . . before me”: in Malachi 3:23 this messenger is called Elijah. In Matthew 11:10 these words are quoted by Christ as referring to John the Baptizer, who prepared the way for the coming of the Savior;”[4] We believe this prediction from Malachi is fulfilled with the birth of St. John the Baptist. The prophecy of Malachi was widely known and understood by the Jews at the time of Christ. The prediction of the return of Elijah was seen as one of the major prophetic signs, and the Gospel description of St. John the Baptist closely paralleled the descriptions given in scripture (see 2 Kings 1:8 and notes on Luke 3:15ff; Matthew 3:4; and John 1:6ff).
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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.
Commentary on Ps 25:4-5ab, 8-9, 10 and 14
Psalm 25 is an individual lament. The sinful psalmist prays that “Your ways” (God’s ways) be made known. The request directs us to repentance and ultimately justice. The theme of guidance is continued in the psalm. This selection gives a clear sense of the Lord’s path announced by angelic messengers, prophets, and the very Law of Moses. It is the culmination and completion of God’s covenants. These verses give a clear sense of the Lord’s path announced by John the Baptist and Malachi.
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Gospel Luke 1:57-66
Commentary on Lk 1:57-66
Following Mary’s Magnificat, Luke now tells the story of John the Baptist’s birth, circumcision, and naming. The silence imposed on Zachariah by God (Luke 1:20) is broken as he confers the name, John, upon his son. Even the naming of St. John is unusual. It would have been the custom of the time to name the child after the father and for the child’s father to make that announcement as part of the ritual surrounding his circumcision. Zechariah complies with the demands of the Archangel Gabriel (Luke 1:13) and names him John. The question is asked by those who are at hand: “"What, then, will this child be? For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.’”
CCC: Lk 1:68 422, 717
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Reflection:
Our Advent journey is almost over; the long wait for the great blessing of the Feast of the Nativity has drawn to an end. The spiritual journey has been as intense as our physical preparations for the great holiday. The Lord’s Nativity is preceded by the birth of St. John the Baptist who also precedes him in death. Although we celebrate a special feast to remember this event on June 24th each year, today we recall this occasion for a different reason. It is in conjunction with the Lord’s birth that we remember the blessing of the new life of St. John the Baptist, whose birth was in fulfillment of ancient prophecy as well.
We see in this part of the story yet another miraculous sign of things to come. Zechariah, the father of St. John the Baptist (the “Voice”), has been mute since that day almost a year earlier when he demonstrated his unbelief in God’s plan and power (see Luke 1:5-25). Now he is released from his affliction when he does as the Lord commanded by naming his child John. This is especially surprising for the friends who had gathered, since it was a long standing tradition to name the first son after the father (hence their statement in the Gospel “they were going to call him Zechariah after his father”). We see their surprise. Not only did the family break with tradition, but immediately upon doing so, the punishment applied to Zechariah was lifted.
Something new was coming. Zechariah, priest of the temple, had named his child with a name not of their family. Elizabeth had borne a child in her old age after being infertile her whole life. It is no wonder they asked: “What, then, will this child be?” He was set on a different path and “the hand of God was upon him.”
Our wait is almost over. We see in the birth of St. John the Baptist, the “Voice,” the imminent arrival of the one he is to herald. It is one more proof of the identity of the Christ child we welcome in less than two days. Be at peace now, as the candles remind us, the Lord of Light is at hand. His reign will soon be established once more and our journey starts a new circle of faith, dying and rising once more.
Pax
[2] The picture is “The Birth of St John the Baptist” by Luca Signorelli, 1485-90
[4] See NAB footnote on Malachi 3:23
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