October 20, 2003 The Canticle of Zechariah
There was a young boy, about five years old. He couldn’t speak. He had never spoken a word. His parents had taken him to doctors, speech therapists and psychotherapists. Nothing worked. They could not find out why the boy couldn’t talk.
One day, the family is eating breakfast. Suddenly, the boy says, “This oatmeal tastes like wallpaper paste!” Naturally, the parents are extatic. The mother says, “You can talk!” He replies, “Of course I can talk.”
“But”, the mother says, “son, we’ve taken you to doctors and speech therapists. We’ve taken you to psychotherapists. We’ve even been on Dr. Phil! Why haven’t you said anything before?”
“Up to now, everything’s been ok.”
I thought of this story as I was looking at today’s readings. You may have noticed that the responsorial psalm isn’t a psalm at all. It’s from Luke’s Gospel. It’s called the Canticle of Zechariah. It’s one of only two New Testament readings that are used as responsorials in the entire three year cycle of readings.
It’s part of the Liturgy of the Hours, the morning prayer of the church. All over the world, bishops, priests, deacons and religious are obliged to say this prayer every day.
As you know, Zechariah was John the Baptist’s father. He was a Hebrew priest. One day, while he was praying in the temple, the angel Gabriel appeared to him and told him that he and his wife Elizabeth were going to have a son. You can imagine his surprise. First an angel appears which is unusual enough. Then he tells Zechariah that he’s going to be a father. Zechariah has a little trouble accepting all this.
The angel goes on to tell him that the child will be filled with the Holy Spirit and would go before the Lord. “Oh, by the way. since you didn’t believe me at first, you will not be able to speak until all this comes to pass.” Our first lesson today is don’t mess with an angel.
Zechariah comes out of the temple with this huge bit of news and he can’t speak! Elizabeth probably knew something was going on when she started to have morning sickness. Since Zechariah was a priest, we assume he could read and write so he was able to let Elizabeth know what the angel said.
Nine months passed and John was born. Small towns haven’t changed all that much through the years. Elizabeth’s friends and relatives all gathered at the house to help with the baby, and to give Elizabeth lots of advise. One thing they were talking about was what to name the baby. Zechariah Junior is the favorite choice, but Elizabeth announces that the baby will be called John.
“Oy, what kind of a name is John? No one in your family is named John. His name should be Zechariah Junior.” At that, Zechariah picked up a tablet and wrote, “the boy’s name is John.” That was the end of that discussion.
As Gabriel had promised, Zechariah was now able to speak. But, unlike the boy in our first story, whose first words were a complaint, “Zechariah’s first words were, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; He has come to his people and set them free!
“He has raised up for us a mighty savior, born of the house of His servant David. Through His holy prophets, he promised of old that he would save us from our enemies, from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant.
“This was the oath He swore to our father Abraham, to set us free from the hands of our enemies, free to worship him without fear, holy and righteous in his sight, all the days of our life.”
Remember, in the first reading today, Abraham did not God’s promise. This was credited to him as righteousness.
Then Zechariah turns toward the baby, “You, my child will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, to give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of sins. In the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
The neat thing about the Liturgy of the Hours is that somewhere, at every minute of the day someone is praying it. Right now, even as we speak, there are people praying the Canticle of Zechariah. They’re praising God, which is what we’re called to do.
Today as we receive Christ in the Eucharist, let’s praise God and remember that He has come to us, his people, to set us free.
One day, the family is eating breakfast. Suddenly, the boy says, “This oatmeal tastes like wallpaper paste!” Naturally, the parents are extatic. The mother says, “You can talk!” He replies, “Of course I can talk.”
“But”, the mother says, “son, we’ve taken you to doctors and speech therapists. We’ve taken you to psychotherapists. We’ve even been on Dr. Phil! Why haven’t you said anything before?”
“Up to now, everything’s been ok.”
I thought of this story as I was looking at today’s readings. You may have noticed that the responsorial psalm isn’t a psalm at all. It’s from Luke’s Gospel. It’s called the Canticle of Zechariah. It’s one of only two New Testament readings that are used as responsorials in the entire three year cycle of readings.
It’s part of the Liturgy of the Hours, the morning prayer of the church. All over the world, bishops, priests, deacons and religious are obliged to say this prayer every day.
As you know, Zechariah was John the Baptist’s father. He was a Hebrew priest. One day, while he was praying in the temple, the angel Gabriel appeared to him and told him that he and his wife Elizabeth were going to have a son. You can imagine his surprise. First an angel appears which is unusual enough. Then he tells Zechariah that he’s going to be a father. Zechariah has a little trouble accepting all this.
The angel goes on to tell him that the child will be filled with the Holy Spirit and would go before the Lord. “Oh, by the way. since you didn’t believe me at first, you will not be able to speak until all this comes to pass.” Our first lesson today is don’t mess with an angel.
Zechariah comes out of the temple with this huge bit of news and he can’t speak! Elizabeth probably knew something was going on when she started to have morning sickness. Since Zechariah was a priest, we assume he could read and write so he was able to let Elizabeth know what the angel said.
Nine months passed and John was born. Small towns haven’t changed all that much through the years. Elizabeth’s friends and relatives all gathered at the house to help with the baby, and to give Elizabeth lots of advise. One thing they were talking about was what to name the baby. Zechariah Junior is the favorite choice, but Elizabeth announces that the baby will be called John.
“Oy, what kind of a name is John? No one in your family is named John. His name should be Zechariah Junior.” At that, Zechariah picked up a tablet and wrote, “the boy’s name is John.” That was the end of that discussion.
As Gabriel had promised, Zechariah was now able to speak. But, unlike the boy in our first story, whose first words were a complaint, “Zechariah’s first words were, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; He has come to his people and set them free!
“He has raised up for us a mighty savior, born of the house of His servant David. Through His holy prophets, he promised of old that he would save us from our enemies, from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant.
“This was the oath He swore to our father Abraham, to set us free from the hands of our enemies, free to worship him without fear, holy and righteous in his sight, all the days of our life.”
Remember, in the first reading today, Abraham did not God’s promise. This was credited to him as righteousness.
Then Zechariah turns toward the baby, “You, my child will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, to give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of sins. In the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
The neat thing about the Liturgy of the Hours is that somewhere, at every minute of the day someone is praying it. Right now, even as we speak, there are people praying the Canticle of Zechariah. They’re praising God, which is what we’re called to do.
Today as we receive Christ in the Eucharist, let’s praise God and remember that He has come to us, his people, to set us free.
posted by Mike at 12:00 PM
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