Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Advent
- Mary Jo Barr
- Dec 23, 2025
- 2 min read
Gospel Luke 1:57-66
When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, “No. He will be called John.”But they answered her, “There is no one among your relatives who has this name.”So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name, ”and all were amazed. Immediately, his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God. Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, “What, then, will this child be?For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.”
REFLECTION
My husband and I were expecting our first child. As we were preparing for his birth, we began to write down names to name him. We started with the names of our fathers. Which father's name should we choose? David was a name carried through my husband's father's ancestry. I asked my husband if the second name could include one of my father's names, Charles or Murphy. We finally decided on David Murphy.
Naming children carried special significance in the Judeo-Christian traditions. In the history of Judaism, in the book of Genesis, God gave Adam the honor of naming everything He created. In the Bible, there were many times God changed or perfected the names of people. Why?
A name in both traditions carries a "profound significance." It carries a special "purpose" or even "destiny." (*1) In the Catholic Christian faith, a name should include a saint's name. Naming a child with a saint's name brings the blessing of that saint's protection
The Gospel today reflects the power of naming. Zachariah was given the name for his son at the annunciation of his son's birth by Archangel Gabriel, God's messenger.
"Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John." (Luke 1: 13) "For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he will convert many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go before him with the spirit of Elijah, so that he may turn the hearts of the fathers to the sons, and the incredulous to the prudence of the just, so as to prepare for the Lord a completed people." (Luke 1: 15-17)
Advent is a time to prepare for the birth of Our Lord, Emmanuel, Jesus, "Yahweh saves", "Yeshua".
And she shall give birth to a son. And you shall call his name JESUS. For he shall accomplish the salvation of his people from their sins.
Let us continue to prepare for the birthday of our Savior, Jesus!
Here is the 8th Day of the Christmas Novena.
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