There are many things that happen in our lives that test our faith. It can be the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, a failed class or bad grade, financial problems, and so on. We can come here everyday, receive Jesus in the Word and in the Eucharist, feel his very presence in our lives, and then one day something bad happens to us, and it's as if we never had any faith at all.
Today we heard about poor old Zechariah. A priest in the temple, he questioned the words of the angel Gabriel, who had foretold the miraculous birth of his son, who then punished Zechariah by making him mute. But even though he doubted, he did not lose faith, and in the end his speech was restored and he proclaimed, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful prayers of praise in Scripture: the Canticle of Zechariah.
It is too easy for us to forget God's promises. The Old Testament is filled with the stories of the people of Israel time after time forgetting what the Lord had done for them. The Gospels show us that the very closest of those among Jesus who lived in his presence, who saw him, touched him, smelled him, still questioned and doubted, and at his death, abandoned him. St. Augustine said that our hearts "yearn to rest in you, Lord" and I believe that is true. I believe we all seek relationship with the divine and that we all yearn to be in God's presence. But there is distance, there are questions. We forget, we question, we doubt, but I think that's ok. We're human; we're not perfect. Our hearts are tempted and swayed by many things. But no matter what comes our way, no matter what happens to us, there is nothing greater or more powerful than God's love. And no matter how many times we question or doubt or sin, God will never abandon us to the power of death.
When Zechariah's speech was restored, he praised God for he understood that God's promise of salvation had come. For so long, the people had waited for salvation, and at long last it had arrived. We live every single day with God's promise, and so Zechariah's song is our prayer too:
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel. He has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior. Born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old.
That he would save us from our enemies, from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father, Abraham, to set us free from the hands of our enemies
free to worship him without fear, holy and righteous in his sight, all the days of our life.
You my child shall be called the prophet of the most high,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way.
To give his people knowledge of salvation, by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high shall break upon us
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Just as John was born to prepare the way of the Lord, we are born to prepare his way and we too must preach to the whole world, and ourselves, that God has saved us. God will always save us. AMEN.
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