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Saints John The Baptist, Zachary and Elizabeth[THE BIRTH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST]
St Thomas The Apostle Parish ^ | May 16, 2003 | Father Robert F McNamara

Posted on 06/24/2003 9:15:01 PM PDT by Lady In Blue



Since he was born into a human family, our Lord naturally had relatives. Every now and then in the New Testament the "brothers" of Jesus are mentioned. These were cousins, since He was Mary's only child. In the language that they spoke there was no word for "cousin", so "brother" had to do also for more distant kinsfolk.

The first relative of the Blessed Virgin to be mentioned is Elizabeth. St. Luke tells us at the beginning of his gospel how the angel Gabriel appeared to her husband Zachary (Zechariah), an Old Testament priest then engaged in his priestly duties in the temple at Jerusalem, to announce that he and his wife would become the parents of St. John the Baptist.

St. Luke speaks highly of Zechariah and Elizabeth: "righteous in the eyes of God, observing all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly." Hitherto they had had no children, and she was apparently past the normal childbearing age. Understandably, perhaps, Zechariah wondered how they could start a family at their age. Gabriel scolded him for this moment's hesitation, and told him that he would therefore be stricken dumb until their son was born. When Elizabeth was in the sixth month of her pregnancy, Archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary of Nazareth and announced that God had chosen her to mother His Son. As a guarantee of his words and of God's power, Gabriel told Mary that her relative Elizabeth had also conceived, despite her advanced age. Mary then consented, and Jesus was formed miraculously in her womb. One of the first things Mary did after conceiving the Son of God was to set out for the home of Zechariah and Elizabeth in "the hill country", perhaps to the west, perhaps to the south of Jerusalem. It was a long journey from Nazareth, but Our Lady felt impelled to make it, not only out of thoughtfulness for her cousin, but also, I think, to bring the unborn Jesus for the first time into the presence of the unborn John, who was to be his forerunner thirty years later.

When the two kinswoman came face to face, the Holy Spirit revealed to Elizabeth that Mary was pregnant with the Son of God. "Most blessed are you among women." Elizabeth cried out, "and blessed is the fruit of your womb." At that moment her child had "leaped in her womb." In ecstasy over her privilege, she exclaimed, "How does it happen to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" Mary replied, praising God's goodness in her great song, "my soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my savior." It is also common teaching that the unborn John, at his meeting with the unborn Jesus, was cleansed of original sin.

Mary stayed about three months, departing, apparently, before the birth of St. John. When John was born, Zechariah regained his power to speak. Then he, too, uttered a magnificent hymn of praise, prophesying that his son would "go before the Lord to prepare His ways." All who were at John's birthing ceremonies were convinced that he was called to perform some great task for God. Indeed, Jesus would later on declare that "among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist."

Having recounted the birth of St. John, Luke makes no further mention of Zechariah and Elizabeth. Some of the early Fathers of the Church were persuaded that Zechariah died a martyr, but the Roman church calendar knows nothing of this. We must conclude, therefore, that the evangelists said nothing more about them because at John's birth their unique role in our salvation was finished.

Nevertheless, the Church could not ignore these cousins of Jesus, these two persons so "righteous in the eyes of God" that they had merited to bring St. John the Baptist into the world. From ancient times SS. Elizabeth and Zechariah have been assigned a joint feastday on November 5.

--Father Robert F. McNamara


This page last modified on: 05/16/03 19:29:29EST Web Site Copyright 1999-2003 St. Thomas The Apostle Church, All Rights Reserved Saints Alive Copyright 1984-2003 Rev. Robert F. McNamara, All Rights Reserved Web Design Beck & Beck Enterprises, Rochester New York


TOPICS: Catholic; History; Prayer; Theology
KEYWORDS: catholiclist
The Feast of St John The Baptist is today, June 24th.
1 posted on 06/24/2003 9:15:01 PM PDT by Lady In Blue
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To: *Catholic_list; father_elijah; nickcarraway; Salvation; Siobhan; NYer; JMJ333
ping
2 posted on 06/24/2003 9:17:04 PM PDT by Lady In Blue (Bush,Cheney,Rumsfeld,Rice 2004)
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To: Lady In Blue
Thanks, Lady in Blue!
3 posted on 06/24/2003 9:17:07 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: Salvation
You're welcome,Salvation. It's been a little while since I've posted something on the saints. I've been so caught up on what's happening in Iraq that I've been a little remiss.
4 posted on 06/24/2003 9:19:42 PM PDT by Lady In Blue (Bush,Cheney,Rumsfeld,Rice 2004)
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To: Lady In Blue
Bump
5 posted on 06/24/2003 9:51:09 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: Lady In Blue
Every now and then in the New Testament the "brothers" of Jesus are mentioned. These were cousins, since He was Mary's only child. In the language that they spoke there was no word for "cousin", so "brother" had to do also for more distant kinsfolk.

Luke.1
[36] And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. [58] And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.

6 posted on 06/24/2003 10:16:19 PM PDT by PFKEY
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To: Lady In Blue
Brother.........

Strong's Number: 2385 ¹Ia/kwbov
Original Word Word Origin
¹Ia/kwbov the same as (2384) Graecised
Transliterated Word Phonetic Spelling
Iakobos ee-ak'-o-bos
Parts of Speech TDNT
Noun Masculine None
Definition
James = "supplanter"
son of Zebedee, an apostle and brother of the apostle John, commonly called James the greater or elder, slain by Herod, Acts
an apostle, son of Alphaeus, called the less
James the half-brother of Christ
an unknown James, father of the apostle Judas (?)

Translated Words
KJV (42) - James (half-brother of Jesus), 5; James (son of Alphaeus), 16; James (son of Zebedee), 21;
NAS (42) - James, 42;

Cousin.........

Strong's Number: 4773 suggenh/v
Original Word Word Origin
suggenh/v from (4862) and (1085)
Transliterated Word Phonetic Spelling
Suggenes soong-ghen-ace'
Parts of Speech TDNT
Adjective 7:736,1097
Definition
of the same kin, akin to, related by blood
in a wider sense, of the same nation, a fellow countryman

Translated Words
KJV (12) - cousin, 2; kin, 1; kinsfolk, 2; kinsman, 7;
NAS (11) - kinsman, 1; kinsmen, 3; relative, 1; relatives, 6;





7 posted on 06/24/2003 10:51:34 PM PDT by PFKEY
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To: Lady In Blue

BTTT on 06-24-04

Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist


8 posted on 06/24/2004 7:25:25 AM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: Lady In Blue

BTTT for the Vigil of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, 06-23-05


9 posted on 06/23/2005 8:35:13 AM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: Lady In Blue

BTTT on the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, 06-24-05.


10 posted on 06/24/2005 7:14:35 AM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: Lady In Blue
The Messiah and his forerunner
Zechariah’s mouth was opened, and he prophesied, saying ‘Blessed be the God of Israel.’
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
  for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption.
He has raised up the sign of salvation
  in the house of his servant David,
as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones,
  his prophets through the ages:
to rescue us from our enemies
  and all who hate us,
to take pity on our fathers,
  to remember his holy covenant
and the oath he swore to Abraham our father,
  that he would give himself to us,
that we could serve him without fear
 – freed from the hands of our enemies –
in uprightness and holiness before him,
  for all of our days.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High:
  for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path,
to let his people know their salvation,
  so that their sins may be forgiven.
Through the bottomless mercy of our God,
  one born on high will visit us
to give light to those who walk in darkness,
  who live in the shadow of death;
  to lead our feet in the path of peace.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
  world without end.
Amen.
Zechariah’s mouth was opened, and he prophesied, saying ‘Blessed be the God of Israel.’

11 posted on 06/24/2009 9:24:27 AM PDT by Salvation (With God all things are possible.)
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