Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Advent

Lectionary: 199

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.

 

I’m sure every Catholic and most Christians have heard complaints about the Catholic Church. People often say, “I have issues with the Catholic Church!” They don’t like her teachings about abortion, divorce, capital punishment, or euthanasia; or one of many lesser issues. Some resent the strict discipline of their parents and teachers, supposing they would be happier today had they had different upbringing. Or they simply resent the magisterial authority of the Church. 

That’s all good! If there is any sure sign of the Church’s authenticity, it’s the way it makes people uncomfortable. A religion that consistently comforts, reassures, and encourages cannot represent Truth, because Truth will always stand in opposition to many of our opinions, attitudes, and traditions. A religion that strives to help everyone to play nice must smother many cries of anguish, disappointment, and grief.

John the Baptist, from the day he was born, caused trouble, as we hear in today’s gospel. His relatives intended to name him Zechariah after his respected father; but God had chosen otherwise, and the elderly couple would not defy God despite everyone’s expectations.

Fortunately, even before the old man’s tongue was freed and he sang his Benedictus, Saint Luke tells us that the relatives came and, “All were amazed.” Amazement, awe, wonder, fear of the Lord: spiritually and theologically, these are essentially the same thing. We should cultivate and welcome that reverence for Divine Authority that comes upon us when we see, hear, or sense the Presence of God. We must bow before it, grateful for God's governance of our lives. 

A secular culture can’t be bothered with subtle things like piety and devotion; they have mountains to climb, obstacles to overcome, and people to destroy. They’re god does what they want him to do. I believe it was King Henry II, in the play A Lion in Winter, who said, “I am the king! When I pray God listens!” In a secular culture, everyone is king, but there is no God.

John the Baptist prepared the way of the Lord by naming the sins of the people and inviting them to repentance. Herod Antipas, nephew of Herod the Great, despised him for his defense of marriage, but many people opened their hearts to the Lord after accepting John’s message and his baptism.

Chastened by our faith and the Advent season, we now wait eagerly for the coming of the Son of God.