God will do what he said he will do - dec 24 AM 2013

Permit me to give you a very short summary just before this song of Zechariah was sung to celebrate the birth of his son John.  The last prophet of the Old Testament was the prophet Malachi.  In the last prophesy uttered by Malachi, the last prophet of the Old Testament, he foretold the birth of John the Baptist who like Elijah will bring people back to God and prepare the way of the Lord.  After this prophesy it would seem that God became silent.  For 400 years God did not send any prophet, God did not utter a word, God did not do any marvelous works.  God kept quiet.  In fact some people say that God fell asleep.  And for four hundred years God slept.

Then after 400 years the angel Gabriel was sent to the temple one day to announce to Zechariah that his wife though old will give birth to a son who like Elijah will bring people back to God and prepare the way of the Lord.  Zechariah could not believe what he heard.  He even asked Gabriel for proof.  This angered the angel Gabriel and as a sign, he made Zechariah mute, unable to speak for nine months until the birth of John the Baptist took place.  Yesterday we read the gospel that narrated to us the birth of John the Baptist and his naming – why he was named John.  Names are important because they speak of the circumstances that surround the birth of a person and his mission in life.  Zechariah’s name for example means God remembers.  After 400 years God remembered his promise.  After 400 years God fulfilled his promise because God remembers.  John is a name given by an angel.  It means that God is gracious.  It speaks of the birth and mission of John and complements the birth of his father, for when God remembers, God is gracious.

Today we celebrate the fulfillment of the prophesy uttered by the prophet Malachi 400 years before, the prophesy we read yesterday in our first reading.  God is sending his messenger to prepare the way before him.  God will send Elijah the prophet before the Lord himself shall come.  Today this prophesy is fulfilled, the messenger has been sent.  Tonight, the Lord comes.

God is faithful to his promise.  This is the simple message of today’s readings.  God intends to fulfill his promises.  His word would be fulfilled.  There will be times when we feel that God is asleep, he does not utter a word, he does not answer our prayers, he does not do marvelous works as he did before.  There will be times when we will question if indeed God still exists.  Probably this is what some of us feel at times especially when we are filled with hardships and are made to carry a heavy load.

But today Zechariah, the mute, the priest who doubted Gabriel, the priest who in his incredulity asked for a proof from an angel, today Zechariah sings.  The moment his tongue set loose, the moment his tongue was allowed to move again after nine months, Zechariah did not shout, he did not speak instead he sung a song, happy that God remembered his promise, happy that God is gracious not just to him but to his people Israel.  The song of Zechariah is a song that affirms our faith in a God who fulfills his promises. 

In the past I would often wonder why we were made to sing the Canticle of Zechariah in a funeral procession while bringing the remains of the dead to the cemetery.  Only now do I understand the meaning of this.  In death we are reminded that God will never turn back from his promise.  God will fulfill it.  We can count on God to do what he said he will do.