Monthly Archives: November 2013

Earlier we saw how Zechariah was struck dumb for not believing the angel Gabriel’s message. In today’s Gospel, we see Zechariah redeeming himself and getting his power of speech back when he gave his support to Elizabeth by insisting that the child be named John.

Sometimes in life, we may have committed sin and we suffer the consequences. However, we are given opportunities to make right what we had done wrong. Are we doing penance for our sins and building our relationship with God? Are we humble enough, like Zechariah, to do the right thing? Ultimately, we must take responsibility for our actions and conduct. God gives us opportunities to come back to Him, let us not squander away these opportunities and lose our life.

If Zechariah is an example of doubt, even when a message is given by an angel, in today’s Gospel, we see an example of trust and total dependence on God. Mary did ask the angel Gabriel: “But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?” The difference here is that Mary accepted and believed in the angel’s message by responding: “I am the handmaid of the Lord, let what you have said be done to me.”

Supposing we received a message from an angel, would we unreservedly and willingly accept and act on the message? Or would we allow doubt to take over?

Many of us may have been influenced by cute or beautiful pictures of angels. However, angels are far from cute. When an angel appears, it can be a terrifying and majestic sight. We read in today’s Gospel that Zechariah was overcome with fear and the angel said to him, “Zechariah, do not be afraid…”

We know that it is highly unlikely for an elderly woman to become pregnant and bear a child. We also know that when an angel appears, it is usually for an important message from God. In this case, the angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah to give him some great news: his wife would bear him a son. Such words from an angel should not be taken lightly. Yet, Zechariah still doubted the angel’s words. By doing so, Zechariah seems to have doubted God. As a result, Zechariah as the Gospel tells us, “was silenced and have no power of speech until this has happened.”

When we receive such amazing and mind-boggling news from an angel, what do we do? Do we doubt even the words of an angel? Do we begin to think that perhaps our mind is playing tricks on us and what we are seeing is merely an illusion, what we are hearing is merely an imagination? Or do we trust the angel’s words and trust God, just like Mary did when she said: “I am the handmaid of the Lord, let what you have said be done to me.”?

If you are engaged to a person and you found out that she is with child, how would you respond? Some might walk away from the relationship. Others might decide to remain faithful and committed to the person despite of the situation she is in. What about you?

In today’s Gospel, we see Joseph finding himself in a difficult and possibly dangerous situation. He was betrothed (something like being engaged in modern times) to Mary, but until they were properly married according to Jewish law, sex was not allowed and was considered adultery. A woman found pregnant during the betrothal could be stoned to death. Because of this, Joseph “being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally.” However, when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, “he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do: he took his wife to his home.”

Joseph knew that the child would not be biologically his, he knew there would be difficulties and challenges ahead, he knew Mary and he could be a source of gossip; and yet he was docile and humble enough to trust in the Lord. Would we be able to follow Joseph’s example and do the same if we were in a similar situation?

Family trees. Each and every one of us has a family tree. Some of us have managed to trace our family tree right to the earliest times. Some have only been partially successful. But one thing we may discover about our family tree is this: our ancestors were a mixed bag of good and not so good people. Each of our ancestors (nenek-moyang, as some like to say in Bahasa Malaysia) had their strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes, when we look at our family tree, we begin to realise and appreciate those who had paved the way to who and what we are today.

Today’s Gospel introduces us to Jesus’ family tree. This family tree is divided into 3 lists of 14: 14 patriarchs; 14 kings; and 14 generations from the Babylonian captivity to Jesus. Within each list, there were good and bad persons, showing us that God does not choose those who are the best from the human point of view, but from God’s point of view.

We can also see that 4 women are included, 3 of whom are named: Tamar, Rahab and Ruth. Bathsheba is not named but mentioned as “Uriah’s wife.” These 4 women were Gentiles either by birth or through marriage. Tamar, Rahab and Ruth were Gentiles by birth. Bathsheba, an Israelite, became Gentile through her marriage to Uriah, the Hittite. This shows that Jesus had Gentile as well as Jewish ancestors.

When we see Jesus’ family tree, we begin to realise and appreciate God’s plan of salvation for all of us. Regardless of whether we are Jew or Gentile, saint or sinner; God can write straight with crooked lines and some of those crooked lines are our lives. As long as we are open to His pruning and guidance, we can be a part of God’s plan. Let us then rise, and walk in His ways.