Birth of Sampson and the Baptist

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to consider the special nature of the birth of each and every person in God’s plan for fullness of life.

Blessed Birth

The reading from the Book of Judges predicts the birth of Sampson.

* [13:5] A nazirite for God: according to the rules for nazirites set forth in Nm 6:2–8, Samson’s vows would have obliged him to abstain from wine and other products of the vine and to keep his hair uncut. As the story that follows shows, the last requirement proved especially fateful in Samson’s life. (Judges, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 71 is a prayer for Lifelong Protection and Help.

* [Psalm 71] A lament of an old person (Ps 71:9, 18) whose afflictions are interpreted by enemies as a divine judgment (Ps 71:11). The first part of the Psalm pleads for help (Ps 71:1–4) on the basis of a hope learned from a lifetime’s experience of God; the second part describes the menace (Ps 71:9–13) yet remains buoyant (Ps 71:14–16); the third develops the theme of hope and praise. (Psalms, PSALM 71 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, the Birth of John the Baptist is foretold.

* [1:7] They had no child: though childlessness was looked upon in contemporaneous Judaism as a curse or punishment for sin, it is intended here to present Elizabeth in a situation similar to that of some of the great mothers of important Old Testament figures: Sarah (Gn 15:3; 16:1); Rebekah (Gn 25:21); Rachel (Gn 29:31; 30:1); the mother of Samson and wife of Manoah (Jgs 13:2–3); Hannah (1 Sm 1:2).

* [1:13] Do not be afraid: a stereotyped Old Testament phrase spoken to reassure the recipient of a heavenly vision (Gn 15:1; Jos 1:9; Dn 10:12, 19 and elsewhere in Lk 1:30; 2:10). You shall name him John: the name means “Yahweh has shown favor,” an indication of John’s role in salvation history.

* [1:15] He will drink neither wine nor strong drink: like Samson (Jgs 13:4–5) and Samuel (1 Sm 1:11 LXX and 4QSama), John is to be consecrated by Nazirite vow and set apart for the Lord’s service.

* [1:17] He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah: John is to be the messenger sent before Yahweh, as described in Mal 3:1–2. He is cast, moreover, in the role of the Old Testament fiery reformer, the prophet Elijah, who according to Mal 3:23 (Mal 4:5) is sent before “the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.”

* [1:19] I am Gabriel: “the angel of the Lord” is identified as Gabriel, the angel who in Dn 9:20–25 announces the seventy weeks of years and the coming of an anointed one, a prince. By alluding to Old Testament themes in Lk 1:17, 19 such as the coming of the day of the Lord and the dawning of the messianic era, Luke is presenting his interpretation of the significance of the births of John and Jesus.

* [1:20] You will be speechless and unable to talk: Zechariah’s becoming mute is the sign given in response to his question in v. 18. When Mary asks a similar question in Lk 1:34, unlike Zechariah who was punished for his doubt, she, in spite of her doubt, is praised and reassured (Lk 1:35–37). (Luke, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

David Crawford comments that Zechariah’s story raises some troubling questions in his mind.

Is the life I am living one of righteousness and faith, one that would cause God to decide I could be entrusted with a great, or even a small, responsibility?  How would I respond if God called me to upend my somewhat orderly and comfortable life, especially if I do not understand how or why?  And why am I asking “if” God would call me to change my life, when I should be asking “How is God calling me and how should I respond?" (Crawford, 2024)

Don Schwager quotes “Born for prophecy - murdered for truth,” by Maximus of Turin (died between 408-423 AD).

"I do not know what is the most important thing that we should preach - that he [John the Baptist] was wonderfully born or more wonderfully slain - for he was born as a prophecy and murdered for truth. By his birth he announced the coming of the Savior, and by his death he condemned the incest of Herod (Matthew 14:3-12). This holy and righteous man, who was born in an uncommon way as the result of a promise, merited from God that he should depart this world by an uncommon death - that he should by confessing the Lord lay aside his body, which he had received as a gift from the Lord. Therefore John did everything by the will of God, since he was born and died for the sake of God's work." (excerpt from SERMON 5.1-.2) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 1:5-25 comments that speaking to God is wonderful. But it is equally important to listen in silence and accept what we hear. Silence is a way that you can confess that God’s plans and purposes far surpass your own—and that he will do what’s best for you! It’s a way of showing God that you trust him as a loving Father, even when life seems chaotic.

In your prayer today, try to put yourself in Zechariah’s shoes. Try not to “say” too much in prayer. Instead, silently offer yourself to God, silently surrender to his will, or sit in wordless, astonished gratitude for his love and mercy.

“Here I am, Lord.” (Meditation on Luke 1:5-25, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the promise of a child, Sampson, to a barren woman and the nazirite vow that treats hair as sacred resulting in Sampson not cutting his, and Paul shaving his head. The angel Gabriel appearing to Zechariah announces that Elizabeth’s child will be “John” that means “God is merciful” in Hebrew. Friar Jude notes that Zechariah is forced to “listen in silence” for his questioning of God in response to his prayers.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces twentieth-century English mystic Caryll Houselander (1901–1954) who describes how an ordinary underground train journey in London transformed into a powerful vision of Christ dwelling in all people.

I was in an underground train, a crowded train in which all sorts of people jostled together, sitting and strap-hanging—workers of every description going home at the end of the day. Quite suddenly I saw with my mind, but as vividly as a wonderful picture, Christ in them all. But I saw more than that; not only was Christ in every one of them, living in them, dying in them, rejoicing in them, sorrowing in them—but because He was in them, and because they were here, the whole world was here too … all those people who had lived in the past, and all those yet to come. (Rohr, n.d.)

We ponder the accounts of miraculous birth and contemplate the action that is part of the demonstration of our rebirth in the truth, love, and compassion of God.

References

Crawford, D. (2024, December 19). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. Creighton University's Online Ministries. https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/121924.html 

Judges, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved December 19, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/judges/13?2 

Luke, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved December 19, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/1?5 

Meditation on Luke 1:5-25. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved December 19, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/12/19/1155474/ 

Psalms, PSALM 71 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved December 19, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/71?3 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Christ in All, All in Christ. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved December 19, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/christ-in-all-all-in-christ/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Many Will Rejoice at His Birth. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved December 19, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=dec19 

Fertile Promise

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to contemplate the gifts that God brings with each human life to invite us to fullness.

Promise in Birth

The reading from the Book of Judges describes the events leading to the Birth of Samson. 

* [13:2] The clan of the Danites: before the migration described in chap. 18 the tribe of Dan occupied a small territory west of Benjamin, adjacent to the Philistine plain; see note on 3:3.

* [13:5] A nazirite for God: according to the rules for nazirites set forth in Nm 6:2–8, Samson’s vows would have obliged him to abstain from wine and other products of the vine and to keep his hair uncut. As the story that follows shows, the last requirement proved especially fateful in Samson’s life. (Judges, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 71 is a prayer for Lifelong Protection and Help.

* [Psalm 71] A lament of an old person (Ps 71:9, 18) whose afflictions are interpreted by enemies as a divine judgment (Ps 71:11). The first part of the Psalm pleads for help (Ps 71:1–4) on the basis of a hope learned from a lifetime’s experience of God; the second part describes the menace (Ps 71:9–13) yet remains buoyant (Ps 71:14–16); the third develops the theme of hope and praise. (Psalms, PSALM 71 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, the Birth of John the Baptist is foretold.

* [1:5] In the days of Herod, King of Judea: Luke relates the story of salvation history to events in contemporary world history. Here and in Lk 3:1–2 he connects his narrative with events in Palestinian history; in Lk 2:1–2 and Lk 3:1 he casts the Jesus story in the light of events of Roman history. Herod the Great, the son of the Idumean Antipater, was declared “King of Judea” by the Roman Senate in 40 B.C., but became the undisputed ruler of Palestine only in 37 B.C. He continued as king until his death in 4 B.C. Priestly division of Abijah: a reference to the eighth of the twenty-four divisions of priests who, for a week at a time, twice a year, served in the Jerusalem temple.

* [1:7] They had no child: though childlessness was looked upon in contemporaneous Judaism as a curse or punishment for sin, it is intended here to present Elizabeth in a situation similar to that of some of the great mothers of important Old Testament figures: Sarah (Gn 15:3; 16:1); Rebekah (Gn 25:21); Rachel (Gn 29:31; 30:1); the mother of Samson and wife of Manoah (Jgs 13:2–3); Hannah (1 Sm 1:2).

* [1:13] Do not be afraid: a stereotyped Old Testament phrase spoken to reassure the recipient of a heavenly vision (Gn 15:1; Jos 1:9; Dn 10:12, 19 and elsewhere in Lk 1:30; 2:10). You shall name him John: the name means “Yahweh has shown favor,” an indication of John’s role in salvation history.

* [1:15] He will drink neither wine nor strong drink: like Samson (Jgs 13:4–5) and Samuel (1 Sm 1:11 LXX and 4QSama), John is to be consecrated by Nazirite vow and set apart for the Lord’s service.

* [1:17] He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah: John is to be the messenger sent before Yahweh, as described in Mal 3:1–2. He is cast, moreover, in the role of the Old Testament fiery reformer, the prophet Elijah, who according to Mal 3:23 (Mal 4:5) is sent before “the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.”

* [1:19] I am Gabriel: “the angel of the Lord” is identified as Gabriel, the angel who in Dn 9:20–25 announces the seventy weeks of years and the coming of an anointed one, a prince. By alluding to Old Testament themes in Lk 1:17, 19 such as the coming of the day of the Lord and the dawning of the messianic era, Luke is presenting his interpretation of the significance of the births of John and Jesus.

* [1:20] You will be speechless and unable to talk: Zechariah’s becoming mute is the sign given in response to his question in v. 18. When Mary asks a similar question in Lk 1:34, unlike Zechariah who was punished for his doubt, she, in spite of her doubt, is praised and reassured (Lk 1:35–37). (Luke, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

Maureen McCann Waldron imagines how in that sacred quiet, Zechariah felt an utter peace and the constant presence of God.

As he relaxed into his silence and spoke to God more honestly it came to him that perhaps he did not fully trust this God he loved so deeply.  His reaction to the angel when told of God’s gift of a child was to ask for logic.  “How? When?  Impossible!”

But now in his silent world, he felt his connection with his Lord deepening. Zechariah prayed for the courage to trust in God completely.  He humbly asked forgiveness for his doubts and perhaps a healing of an arrogance that kept him from truly believing that God had promised to be gracious to each one of us. (McCann, 2023)

Don Schwager quotes “Born for prophecy - murdered for truth,” by Maximus of Turin (died between 408-423 AD).

"I do not know what is the most important thing that we should preach - that he [John the Baptist] was wonderfully born or more wonderfully slain - for he was born as a prophecy and murdered for truth. By his birth he announced the coming of the Savior, and by his death he condemned the incest of Herod (Matthew 14:3-12). This holy and righteous man, who was born in an uncommon way as the result of a promise, merited from God that he should depart this world by an uncommon death - that he should by confessing the Lord lay aside his body, which he had received as a gift from the Lord. Therefore John did everything by the will of God, since he was born and died for the sake of God's work." (excerpt from SERMON 5.1-.2) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 1:5-25 comments that when we gather to pray and worship at Mass, we are like Zechariah and Elizabeth and the whole assembly of the people. We bring our individual petitions and offer them to God—those things that are dear to our hearts. But though we pray as individuals, we also pray as a body. God hears not just our own personal prayers but all the prayers we offer as one people. As our voices rise up to heaven in praise and thanksgiving, Jesus, present in the Eucharist, works powerfully among us. He forgives our sins, deepens our faith, and heals our hearts.

Perhaps like Zechariah, you’ve lost some hope that God will actually work his wonders in your life. If doubts like these mingle with your prayers, then it’s time to gather with the whole assembly of the people. Go to Mass, not just on Sunday, but during the week if possible. Go with confidence and worship with your brothers and sisters with one voice. Because when as one body we gather together and offer our prayers to the Lord, wonderful things can happen!

Jesus, you are present among us. Hear our prayers and act powerfully in our midst.” (Meditation on Luke 1:5-25, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the Nazarite vow for Samson that prohibited cutting his hair and how Paul shaving his head also was a Nazarite sign of a gift from God. The name of John the Baptist carries his mission “God is merciful”. Friar Jude notes the silence of Zechariah and the time of John with the Essenes in Qumran point to the need for silent contemplation.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces author Kat Armas, who shortly after giving birth herself, had new insights into the nativity through the experience of Mary. We received our first antiseptic views of holiness, from a sterilized story of incarnation far removed from its reality. We’ve come to understand the concept of holiness as uncontaminated from the realities of the world, but is this truly the story of divinity? The story of God entering into our grief, our sorrows, our joys?

This matters because a broken, refugee, brown, female, naked, stretched, hormonal, marginalized body is how divinity entered this world and where divinity still makes itself most known today….

The nativity scene, like much of Western theology, is far removed from the very bloody and very raw and very human process of birth. But these are the kinds of things that make up our faith: the naked, the primal, even the offensive. And while Mary’s story turned out the way she’d hope it would—with a newborn child in her arms—not all stories turn out that way. What the nativity scene as we’re used to seeing it fails to show us is that our faith is made of that too: the sadness, the questions, the longing, the despair, the anger. Encompassed within the birth of Jesus is the deeply difficult and deeply beautiful, the sacred and the profane, the spiritual and the material. Like our lives, it was fleshly and carnal—and it was also holy. (Rohr, 2023)

We ponder the balance of awe, wonder, and contemplative silence in the fertility and birth narratives that reveal the desire of God to bring life and mission to people.

References

Judges, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved December 19, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/judges/13?2 

Luke, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved December 19, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/1? 

McCann, M. (2023, December 19). U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved December 19, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/121923.html 

Meditation on Luke 1:5-25. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved December 19, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/12/19/852720/ 

Psalms, PSALM 71 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved December 19, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/71?3 

Rohr, R. (2023, December 19). A Human and Holy Birth — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved December 19, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-human-and-holy-birth/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Many Will Rejoice at His Birth. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved December 19, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=dec19