December 23/Fourth Monday of Advent
And all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. ~ Luke 1.65
Some years ago I came across a marvelous poem in The New Yorker, composed by the Italian Giovanni Pascoli and translated by the late, great Irish poet Seamus Heaney, that begins: “In a huddle by the fence/Neighbour women, hard at the usual talk: About so and so who could be whoever’s twin.” Here is the essence of small-town gossip: the close-knit village, the chattering busybodies who mind everyone else’s business, the whispered transmission of the latest (and probably inaccurate) news. We have all experienced the potent force of such gossip and the ability of a crowd to exert influence. In Luke’s telling, the villagers come together to rejoice at the birth of Elizabeth’s and Zechariah’s baby. But they also come to impose upon the parents the uncompromising claims of tradition: of course they will name this baby after his father. It must have taken real spirit for Elizabeth to stand up to the social pressure, her still-muted husband standing next to her, unable to lend support as she dares to choose an unorthodox name. The neighbors aren’t going to give up so easily, however: they brush off the non-compliant Elizabeth and turn to put the question to Zechariah non-verbally. This priest has challenged God’s wisdom once before (which is why he was silenced nine months earlier), and he is not about to do it again: he affirms that the baby’s name will be “John,” according to God’s will. Other people sometimes think they know our business better than we do, and it can be challenging to resist the pressure that comes with this. But through prayer and patient discernment, we can find the fortitude to try to fulfill God’s expectations, not those of the neighbors.
Lord of all, Help me put the expectations of others in their proper place, and listen only for your guiding voice within. Amen.
For today’s readings, click here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/122324.c
To hear the Choir of Belfast Cathedral sing “Hail, Harbinger of Morn,” click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaLCIWV5FRk
