Dec.23 and Dec. 24 Meditations on Liturgical Readings # 200 and #201

Scripture: Lectionary # 200, Dec. 23, 2009. Malachai 3:1-4,23-24. Psalm
25:4-5,8-9, 10.14. Luke 1:57-66:

Zechariah, the priest who is silent till the naming of his son John,
acknowledges the trust and openness that his wife Elizabeth has manifested
ever since the message he received was delivered to her. Or did an angel
also speak to her as he did to Mary? These are those interesting gaps that
lead us to create our own stories surrounding the marvelous events of
Jesus' birth of Mary. It is best, however, always to return to the text
and always to look up to it not down to it through our own critical
analysis that tends to drain it of its beautiful evangelical messages.
This holds for both the Old and New Testaments which are God's revelatory
messages to us throughout our lives.

Returning to Zechariah in this scene we learn that he asks for a tablet and
writes the name John (the graced one) on it thus confirming his wife's
saying he will be John. She listens to the inner life that God stirs
within her through the Holy Spirit and Zechariah finally agrees with the
original message and now agrees with the naming Elizabeth gives. He is
miraculously given back his speech. Did he have time to ask pardon for his
incredulity and obtuseness to one of God's leading messengers, Gabriel?
Probably.

The naming is taking place at the covenant ceremony in the temple called
circumcision. This is the most sacred sign of belonging to the covenant
that God has made with Israel. God is ever faithful to that promise and to
the covenant of loving-kindness and forgiveness. Surely, the surrounding
family members offered a good name like that of Zechariah for this special
child but Elizabeth maintains her openness to the Spirit and names him
John. Now we identify him with his role John the Baptist--the one who is
witness, prophet, herald, precursor to the Messiah, the one who is to come.
Elizabeth had prophetic insight and the right to name the child just as
Mary will do in Luke's version of the birth of her son. Both of these holy
women are our Advent inspiration on this day. They are models for our
growth in faith in the person of Jesus the Messiah. The son of Elizabeth
and the son of Mary communicated with joy in the bodies of their mothers.
Their lives will be lived separately but in the order of God's plan they
are lived together in the Spirit. Amen.

Scripture: Lectionary # 201. II Samuel 7: 1-5, 8-11,16. Psalm
89:2-3,4-5,27.29. Luke 1:67-79.

During this Advent we have introduced the Magnificat with the singing of
the O Antiphons from Dec.17th till today, Christmas Eve. They help us to
approach the Scriptures from a faith perspective put into beautiful song
through the antiphon before and after the Magnificat. Perhaps, today's
Scriptures need to be read in the light of all of them. The initial story
of David wishing to build the temple while it was God who had given the
exact demands of it and reminded David that he had shed too much blood to
be the builder of God's sanctuary. Nathan the prophet is David's
intermediary and fortunately David is attentive to his prophetic advice
throughout his kingship. God"s Wisdom is seen in this (Antiphon 1: Wisdom
of our God Most High, guiding creation with power and love: teach us to
walk in the paths of knowledge).

The Psalm and its response is a covenantal psalm and does apply to both
David but to all of God's people. (Antiphon 2: Come, Leader of ancient
Israel, giver of the Law to Moses on Sinai: rescue us with hour mighty
power). And since it also speaks of the covenant with David the next two O
antiphons fit the Psalm: (Antiphon 3: Come, Flower of Jesse's stem (David),
sign of God's love for all his people: save us without delay! and Antiphon
4: Key of David, opening the gates of God's eternal kingdom, free prisoners
of darkness.)

Then in the beautiful prophetic hymn of Zehariah called the Benedictus we
have an echo of Antiphon 5: Radiant Dawn (Jesus), splendor of eternal
light, sun of justice: shine on those lost in the darkness of death!
We are easily led to reflect on this Morning Hymn, the Benedictus, on this
day called Christmas Eve. We keep both David and John the Baptist in mind
as we also remember the next Antiphon 6 for the One who is to come is nigh,
Come, King of the nations, source of your Church's unity and faith: save
all humankind, your own creation.,

Finally, the presence of Jesus is felt as we realize all of the holy
persons who have led us through this Advent bring us to the Mother who is
now with her child whether in a stable, a cave, or a home. We sing the last
antiphon 7: Emmanuel (God-with-us), God's presence among us, our King, our
Judge: save us, Lord our God. Amen.