Daily Gospel Reflection
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December 19, 2023
In the days of Herod, King of Judea,
there was a priest named Zechariah
of the priestly division of Abijah;
his wife was from the daughters of Aaron,
and her name was Elizabeth.
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.
Once when he was serving as priest
in his division’s turn before God,
according to the practice of the priestly service,
he was chosen by lot
to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense.
Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside
at the hour of the incense offering,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him,
standing at the right of the altar of incense.
Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him.
But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah,
because your prayer has been heard.
Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,
and you shall name him John.
And 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 will drink neither wine nor strong drink.
He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb,
and he will turn many of the children of Israel
to the Lord their God.
He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah
to turn the hearts of fathers toward children
and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous,
to prepare a people fit for the Lord.”
Then Zechariah said to the angel,
“How shall I know this?
For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.”
And the angel said to him in reply,
“I am Gabriel, who stand before God.
I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news.
But now you will be speechless and unable to talk
until the day these things take place,
because you did not believe my words,
which will be fulfilled at their proper time.”
Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah
and were amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary.
But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them,
and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary.
He was gesturing to them but remained mute.
Then, when his days of ministry were completed, he went home.
After this time his wife Elizabeth conceived,
and she went into seclusion for five months, saying,
“So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit
to take away my disgrace before others.”
Today’s gospel begins by telling us the story unfolds in a particular time and place: “…in the days of Herod, King of Judea.” Two of the main characters are Zechariah, a priest of the division of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, a daughter of Aaron. Luke sets this story in history and gives us specific details about the people involved. The narrative unfolds in a real place, during a particular time, during real people’s everyday lives.
There is much to glean from this gospel, but as we prepare for the Lord’s coming during this
Advent season, I think it’s important to remember that Jesus comes to us today in our time and everyday lives. We are unlikely to encounter an angel today, but we will encounter God. Where? How? We might look to the spirituality of St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, for guidance.
I’m now retired, but I spent the last 15 years of my working life teaching at Jesuit High School in
Portland, Oregon. There, I learned a little about Jesuit spirituality. Ignatius truly believed that God was in all things and crafted a prayer, the Examen, to help people experience that reality.
A Google search will give you more details, but the Examen basically asks us to stop at the end of the day and reflect on where we encountered God. Was a comforting conversation just talk, or was it God’s grace? Was a call to help someone just a request, or was it a call to service, an opportunity to prepare the way of the Lord? Was the time spent in nature’s beauty just a moment of solace, or was it a moment of unity with our Creator? Was the love we received from God present to us? Was the love we received today God present to us?
On one level, Zechariah’s encounter with God (through Gabriel) is extraordinary. Still, on another level, God’s advent happens on a day when Zechariah is just going about his business, doing his job. Where will Advent, God’s coming, happen as we go about our lives today?
Prayer
On this blessed day in Advent time, O Lord God, we are introduced to the one who will become the predecessor of Jesus the Savior, the great John the Baptist. Jesus will later describe him as the one who will introduce the kingdom of God to Israel and suffer death for his fiery speech. Help us in turn to speak truthfully and forcefully, as John did, for the truths in which we believe. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Saint of the Day

Sts. Nemesius and Isidore were martyrs who gave their lives for their faith in ancient Alexandria.
Around the year 250, an Egyptian named Nemesius was arrested in Alexandria for theft. In the course of his trial, it was discovered that he was a Christian, a crime punishable by death under the imperial persecution. He confessed his faith, and was imprisoned with a number of thieves. Nemesius was whipped and beaten twice as severely as the others.
After their beating, Nemesius and the other criminals were killed by being burned. Tradition honors him for dying among thieves, just as Jesus did.
Four other Christians were also arrested in that persecution. Among them were a man named Isidore and a boy who was 15 years old. The judge tried to convince the boy to denounce his faith, and then had him tortured with Isidore and his friends. When they remained firm, Isidore and his friends were killed by being burned, but the boy was turned loose.
The feast day of St. Isidore and his companions is Dec. 14, and St. Nemesius is remembered today. The relics of Sts. Nemesius and Isidore rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica, and this image of St. Nemesius is used with permission from Catholic.org.
Sts. Nemesius and Isidore, you were treated worse than criminals and died for your faith, pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of Sts. Nemesius and Isidore is in the public domain. Last accessed November 1, 2024 on Wikimedia Commons.