December 19/Third Saturday of Advent
The angel replied [to Zechariah], “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.” ~ Luke 1.19
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a visible envoy from the Lord bring good news, as Gabriel brought the aging Zechariah the message that his wife would give birth to a son? Perhaps an angelic visitation would provide us with the clarity we seek about God’s will, which so often seems to elude us. But would we really trust such a message and such a messenger? After all, Zechariah — a priest of the temple and certified man of God — was troubled by Gabriel’s arrival and skeptical of his announcement. It simply did not comport with his expectations for his life (and for expressing that skepticism, he was rendered mute until the foretold events occurred). What was seen as unlikely then would be viewed as impossible in our supposedly rational and “enlightened” culture. We are even more prone to skepticism about angels than Zechariah. Anyway, there are no angelic visitations these days . . . or are there? Perhaps the transcendent God still has assistants. Perhaps they come not as the old-fashioned winged glories of the Bible, swooping in dramatically to transform our hearts and lives, but as brothers and mothers, friends and colleagues, acquaintances and neighbors, even a stranger whose passing comment sends us spinning. We may be dubious about the truth of such messages. But if they unsettle our thinking or stir us deep within, we might ask ourselves if this might in fact be God at work in our lives through other human beings. Even when they come from improbable messengers, we will do well to keep our hearts open to God’s messages.
Transcendent God, Lord of heaven and earth, Let me be open to your word and to those who bring it, even when they come in unexpected guises. Amen.
For today’s readings, click here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121920.cfm\
To hear “There are Angels Hov’ring Round” by the Sharon Mountain Harmony, click here: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=There+are+Angels+Hov%27ring+round
