December 23/Third Saturday of Advent
So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. ~ Luke 1.51
For the past few years, I have carried around in my wallet a nugget of wisdom from the great contemporary Presbyterian minister and author, Frederick Buechner, reminding me that I should mind my own business when it comes to my dealings with others. Part of it reads, “Remember that the lives of others are not your business. They are their business. They are God’s business. . . Even your own life is not your business. It also is God’s business.” On the increasingly rare occasions when I use cash, I always pull it out and re-read it (perhaps I should place it next to my credit card instead!). It is a lesson many of us should take to heart. Our human predilection to meddle in the lives of others, to offer unsolicited advice, to be sure that we know what’s best for someone else, is on abundant display in today’s account of the birth of John the Baptist. We can imagine the neighbors crowding around the new mother after this miraculous birth, ready to insist that the baby will be called after his father, Zechariah. Denied satisfaction from her, they rush over to the hapless father and make signs to him, who has been silenced by an angel for his failure to trust the promises of God. Having already suffered the consequences for that mistrust, the chastened Zechariah signals that he and his wife will follow God’s direction and name the baby John. Whether they know us well or not, other people sometimes think they know what’s best for us — and we for them. But the expectations that matter are those of God, not of the neighbors; his instructions are what we should listen for and seek to enact in our lives.
Lord of all places and times, help me keep the claims and expectations of others in perspective, and listen only for your guiding voice within me. Amen.
To hear the Ensemble San Felice sing “Elisabeth Zachariae,” by Italian composer Marco Da Gagliano, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhqQFtXhqdY
For today’s readings, click here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/122323.cfm
