Word to the Wise
Thursday, December 24, 2015 -
[2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16 and Luke 1:67-79]"He has raised up for us a mighty Savior, born of the house of his servant David." [Luke]
The Canticle of Zechariah, like the Canticle of Mary, is a summation of salvation history as well as a statement of the status of John the Baptist in that history. The reference to David is very important and refers back to the first scripture for today from 2 Samuel where the prophet Nathan delivers a message from God: "I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins, and I will make his Kingdom firm. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. Your house and your Kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever." The evangelist, Luke, is painting a broad historical picture while giving a portrait of Jesus' origins.
The nativity scene is a kind of reminder to us of something much, much bigger and in which we participate everyday. The great Dominican theologian-mystic, Meister Eckhart, is quoted as saying, "What good is it for me that our Lord was born so many centuries ago if he is not born daily in my heart?" If the expression, "history in the making," has any meaning, it can refer to the salvation history that we are part of. The nativity scene marks a special moment in time that remains special for our faith. AMEN