Today, in our first reading from the Book of Judges, we hear about the birth of Samson, about how he is to be consecrated as a Nazarite. His uncut hair was a symbol of his consecration to God. Samson was to be a sign of God’s love and salvation to his people. Samson prefigures John the Baptist and John’s role as the one who prepares the way for the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ. This connects us to our Gospel today, in which Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, receives the announcement of the upcoming birth of his son by the Angel. Zechariah was full of fear and disbelief at this announcement, being made mute on account of his disbelief. How different this is to the way Mary accepted God’s will for her into her life and trusted the word of the Lord.
I thought about how families are so full of joy when there is a baptism of a child. It is a way for the family to celebrate the faith that they want to pass down to their child. During the rite of baptism, the priest announce to the parents that they are to be the first teachers and best of teachers in the faith to the child. I also tell the parents that their children are going to learn about the faith in the way they see the faith being lived out in the lives of their parents, much more than their words. The parents are the most important evangelizers to their children and their families.
Perhaps the message we should take away from the readings we hear today as we near the end of Advent is that it is not only important for us prepare and wait for the coming of the Lord, but it is also important for us to have the birth of our Savior truly affect the way we live out our faith. As John the Baptist and Samson were consecrated to the Lord at the time of their birth, may we also consecrate our lives and our actions to his glory. May we prepare a place for Jesus in our hearts every day of our lives.
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