The reality in prayer

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today are about annunciation of great birth of people set apart by God for special action. The passage from Judges is the annunciation to the barren wife of Manoah that she would bear a son who would be dedicated to the service of God and His people. Such Divine action which makes real the prayers of those who have sought an end to infertility is, according to Friar Jude Winkler, evidence of the great belief of the Hebrew tradition in the words of prayer which are made reality by God. The psalmist joins in the praise of God who hears the words of the people and delivers them from the hands of the wicked. The openness of the woman in the episode from Judges to the action of God is paralleled by the praise and thanksgiving of Elizabeth as the story of the annunciation of the birth of John the Baptist is presented in the Gospel of Luke. The faith of Zachariah is seems to have been less than Elizabeth that their prayer would be answered. The naming of John, meaning “always merciful” is in the Hebrew custom of the congruence of name and mission. Friar Jude reminds us that Jesus is the name “always saves”. Faith that the words which are gifts from God, treated with the respect of prayer attention become reality is a deep relationship of trust in God. We are invited to live with the Word made Flesh.