Friday of the Third Week of Advent

O Root of Jesse's stem,
Sign of God's Love for all His People
Come and Save us without Delay!

Lectionary: 195

Both were righteous in the eyes of God,
observing all the commandments
and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly.
But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren
and both were advanced in years.

As Saint Luke tells the story, Christmas begins with a devout, childless couple. The grandparents I know look forward to sharing the holiday with their grandchildren. Kids overcome the natural reluctance of old age and restore glee to their life. Zechariah and Elizabeth could not expect that pleasure. 

But they were devout and found satisfaction and joy -- perhaps even pleasure -- in the rites of their Jewish faith. When they learn that God has heard their prayers and shown them mercy, Elizabeth expresses grateful satisfaction in what God has done: 

“So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit

to take away my disgrace before others.”

John the Baptist, their child, "will drink neither wine nor strong drink," meaning that he is a Nazirite from birth. This vocation appears twice in the writings of Saint Luke. Saint Paul took a vow and had his hair cut, apparently as a temporary Nazirite at Cenchreae. But there were also  lifelong vow -- like the judges Samson and Samuel -- who were dedicated by their parents from birth. 

Nazirites in the Bible, like the consecrated religious of the Catholic Church, were called to assure all God's people of His abiding presence. Their very appearance at gatherings of the Church invoke the holiness, mercy, and righteousness of God.

The Catholic Church, in Roman and Orthodox rites, have remembered Mary as a kind of feminine Nazirite, although there were no Jewish custom of consecrating baby girls. Her marriage to Joseph was celibate. (See Josephite Marriage.)  

And so the expected boys, John and Jesus --though Jesus was not a Nazirite as he attested when he spoke of his own eating and drinking -- were introduced into just, devout homes which reflected the abiding presence of God in our world. Saint Luke's couples represent God's call to holiness to married couples. Their stories lend credence to the Sacrament of Marriage. It is far more than a human institution; it reflects the glory and beauty of God. Every couple who has ever endured the agonizing birth of a child from a woman's body has been astonished by the miraculous sign. 

As the oldest of ten, I remember the miracle of birth differently. Mom would be gone for a few days and then come home with another baby. There was a new, demanding presence in the house; and the watchword was "Shh, the baby's asleep!" If a two year old, four year old, or six year old wanted to squeal, they had to do it outside. We were learning already of the sacredness of human life and its imposition on our rambunctiousness. 

With only days left before we celebrate the Birth of the Infant, we do well to observe a Christmas silence that leads us to the altar where we find Zechariah offering incense, Mary giving birth, and Jesus lifted up before God.