THE ZECHARIAH IN US: 23 December 2009 (Simbang Gabi)
Note: This homily was delivered last 23 December at the Simbang Gabi Mass in the Gesu, Ateneo de Manila University.
Just one more day to go before the day we celebrate the birth of our Lord!
But not so fast! The past couple of evenings, we have been invited first to think about another birth—the birth of our Lord’s cousin, John the Baptist. Amidst all the excitement and rejoicing in that household that day, one person was strangely silent: the father of the newborn baby, Zechariah. In the gospel story today, he more than makes up for it by breaking his silence and breaking into song, giving us one of the loveliest songs in the New Testament.