Reflect today on any sin you have committed that has had painful consequences in your life

Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue released and he spoke blessing God. Luke 1:64

This line reveals the happy conclusion of Zechariah's initial inability to believe what God has revealed to him. We recall that nine months earlier, while Zechariah was fulfilling his priestly duty of offering a sacrifice in the Sancta Sanctorum of the Temple, he received a visit from the glorious Archangel Gabriel, who stands before God. Gabriel revealed to Zechariah the good news that his wife would conceive. in his old age and that this child would be the one who would prepare the people of Israel for the next Messiah. What an incredible privilege that would have been! But Zacharias did not believe. As a result, the Archangel made him mute for his wife's nine months of pregnancy.

The pains of the Lord are always gifts of His grace. Zacharias was not punished for spite or for punitive reasons. Instead, this punishment was more like a penance. He was given the humble penance of losing the ability to speak for nine months for good reason. It seems that God knew that Zechariah needed nine months to quietly reflect on what the Archangel had said. He needed nine months to reflect on his wife's miraculous pregnancy. And he needed nine months to think about who this baby would be. And those nine months produced the desired effect of a full conversion of the heart.

After the birth of the child, this firstborn was expected to be named after his father, Zacharias. But the Archangel had told Zacharias that the child would be called John. Therefore, on the eighth day, the day of his son's circumcision, when he was presented to the Lord, Zechariah wrote on a tablet that the baby's name was John. This was a leap of faith and a sign that he had completely gone from unbelief to faith. And it was this leap of faith that dissolved his previous doubt.

Each of our lives will be marked by an inability to believe at the deepest level of faith. For this reason Zaccaria is for us a model of how we have to face our failures. We address them by allowing the consequences of past failures to change us for good. We learn from our mistakes and move forward with new resolutions. This is what Zechariah did, and this is what we must do if we are to learn from his good example.

Reflect today on any sin you have committed that has had painful consequences in your life. As you ponder that sin, the real question is where do you go from here. Do you allow that past sin, or lack of faith, to dominate and control your life? Or do you use your past failures to make new resolutions and decisions for the future in order to learn from your mistakes? It takes courage, humility, and strength to imitate Zechariah's example. Try to bring these virtues into your life today.

Lord, I know that I lack faith in my life. I can't believe everything you tell me. As a result, I often fail to put Your words into practice. Dear Lord, when I suffer from my weakness, help me to know that this and all suffering can lead to giving you glory if I renew my faith. Help me, like Zacharias, to always return to You and use me as an instrument of your manifest glory. Jesus I believe in you.