Today is the Eve of St. John
the Baptizer, and the appointed reading is taken from Luke’s Gospel where we
read about John’s father:
In the
days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged
to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her
name was Elizabeth. Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly
according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. But they had no
children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years.
Once
when he was serving as priest before God and his section was on duty, he was
chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the
sanctuary of the Lord and offer incense. Now at the time of the
incense-offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. Then
there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the
altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear
overwhelmed him. But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for
your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you
will name him John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at
his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink
wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy
Spirit. He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. With
the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of
parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous,
to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.’ Zechariah said to the angel,
‘How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting
on in years.’ The angel replied, ‘I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God,
and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. But now,
because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time,
you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur.’
Meanwhile,
the people were waiting for Zechariah, and wondered at his delay in the
sanctuary. When he did come out, he could not speak to them, and they realized
that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept motioning to them and
remained unable to speak. When his time of service was ended, he went to his
home. (Lk. 1:5-23).
Sometimes, even when confronted
with God’s truth, we don’t believe it, even if told to us by a heavenly
messenger like Gabriel. How many times
in our lives are we confronted with God’s truth, and because we are uncomfortable
with it, or because we just don’t want to believe it, we ask in our arrogance, “How
can that be? That’s impossible.” After all of these years, and what God has
revealed to us of Himself in Scripture and in the person of Jesus, we should know
by now that nothing is impossible with God.
Let us pray: Grant, we pray, almighty God, that we may see
you hand in all your glorious and wonderful works, the impossible that you do
in our lives, through the One John the Baptizer foretold, our Lord Jesus
Christ, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Please remember
everyone on our Prayer List, and let us give thanks for all of the gifts that
God has bestowed upon us.
Your servant in Christ,
Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo
Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550
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