St Luke 1:5-17

St Luke 1:5-17

Zechariah was the father of St John the Baptist. He was a priest of the Abijah family. The priests who officiated at the morning and evening sacrifice in the temple were divided into 24 groups and so served for a full week every six months. Zechariah entered into the sanctuary next to the “holy of holies” (only the High Priest could enter there) to offer incense on behalf of the people who prayed outside offering their intentions.

Zechariah has a vision from the Archangel Gabriel, who announces the future birth of his son that both he and his wife have faithfully longed and prayed for despite St Elizabeth’s barrenness, “for nothing is impossible to God.” St John the Baptist will be sanctified even from his mother’s womb for the ministry and mission entrusted to him by God the Father. God will grace him with all the authority and power of another great prophet Elijah and many will be brought back to God through his preaching and teaching.

Zechariah and St Elizabeth are given much more than they prayed for, not just a son but the precursor. We should face up to our problems and difficulties and not despair of them and be expectant of a generous response by our continuous and unceasing prayer.