Day 4:  December 19

Reflection on  Matthew 1:18‑24

By Adolfo C. Bonghanoy Jr., MSP

 

INTRODUCTION:

a) Attention Technique:

"Our experiences would tell us that our faith strengthens us despite of trials and struggles"

b) Story:

A man found a cocoon of the emperor moth and took it home to watch it emerge. One day, a small opening appeared, and for several hours the moth struggled, but couldn't seem to force its body pad a certain point. Deciding something was wrong, the man took a pair of scissors and snipped the remaining bit of cocoon. The moth emerged easily, its body large and swollen, the wings small and shriveled. He expected that in a few hours the wings would spread out in their natural beauty, but they did not Instead of developing into a creature free to fly, the moth spent its life dragging around a swollen body and shriveled wings.         The constricting cocoon and the struggle necessary to pass through the tiny opening are God's way of forcing fluid from the body into the wings. The "merciful" snip was, in reality, awl. Sometimes the struggle is needed.

c) Lead‑in:

            Our Gospel today portrays the struggles of Zechariah but his faith strengthened him despite of struggles and remained faithful to the Lord.

 

BODY:

1) Zechariah's Faith

            A Scripture scholar defined faith as believing that the reign of God has come despite all evidence that contradicts its presence. It is an act of trust, a struggle to hang on to one's faith in God despite what seems to be evidence of his absence. And this is what really happened to Zechariah. Being a childless couple that led people the belief that God cursed them. But despite of their situation, the couple still possesses the strong faith and trust to God. In Canon 210, Christ's faithful, each according to his/her own condition, must make a wholehearted effort to lead a holy life, and to promote the growth of the Church and its continual sanctification

 

2.) His faithfulness to his ministry and to the Lord

            Despite the fact that Zechariah and Elizabeth do not have a child but they still remain faithful to the Lord and to their duty and obligation to the temple. The reason of being childlessness does not make Zechariah a bitter person. In Canon 211, all Christ's faithful have the obligation and the right to strive so that the divine message of salvation may more and more reach all people of all times and all places.

 

3.) Silence to Reflect God 's mighty intervention

            Zechariah's unbelief to the angel's message makes a force silence because of his dumbness. His dumbness is God's intervention in order for him to reflect God's mighty deeds in the history of salvation specialty of giving to the couple a child despite of their old age. Zechariah's forced silence led him to reflect and know God's plan of salvation. In Canon 229, Christ's faithful have the duty and, the right to acquire the knowledge of Christian teaching which is appropriate to each one"s capacity and condition, so that they may able to live according to this teaching, to proclaim it and if necessary to defend it and may be capable of playing their part in the exercise of the apostolate.

 

CONCLUSION:

a) Summary:

            Indeed, my dear friends we knew how Zechariah faced the struggles in his life. He was able to face all the trials in life because of a) his faith b) his faithfulness to his ministry and to the Lord, and c) silence to reflect God's intervention in his life.

b) Application:

            Today, we are challenged to strengthen and deepen our faith to God. To strive to become holy before God's eyes and so that God will always be on out side ever ready to listen and grant our prayers as what he did to Zechariah

c) Closing:

            And it is said: "Faith is the key to open up our communication line to God". So let us then pray to God and ask the grace to strengthen our faith and trust to him. Now as we wait for the coming of the Lord ‑ his birth, we are invited to reflect carefully our own experiences of struggles and so that we may start to work for the re‑strengthening of our weakening faith, and to establish a more concrete/strong relationship with Him.