Dear <<First Name>>,
 
God Comes in Mystery
 
In this last week of the Advent season, we see that John, the witness and forerunner of the Messiah, is an important and pivotal figure. He introduces us to the mystery of God's coming into this world, through the birth of the Son of God, born of Mary.
 
The closer we get to the Mystery of the Nativity, the more we enter into the small circle of the Saviour's intimates and the actors in the Mystery of the Incarnation. The figures of John's parents are among those offered to us to contemplate.
Zechariah and Elizabeth are faithful to the Lord; they fulfil God's commandments and faithfully perform their religious service, though they are elderly and childless. And it is during the evening liturgy in the temple, at the hour when incense is offered, that Heaven opens to bring God's answer to their prayer. 
 
The angel of the Lord is sent to Zechariah in the Sanctuary, to announce that his wife in her old age will bear him a son. But Zachariah, who is overcome with fear, is trying to grasp this whole situation, which is actually out of his hands. For God has a plan of love that transcends Zechariah and Elizabeth. Their lives enter into the Mystery and will contribute to the fulfilment of the great plan of salvation.
 
When we do not understand how and where God is leading us, there is only one answer: surrender to His will. For God always wants our good and far beyond what we might perceive. Otherwise, and this is Zechariah's attitude, we add obstacles and suffering to our lives. 
 
Let us ask the Heavenly Father to be docile to the Holy Spirit, and to recognise and welcome him with joy as he comes to us in the simplicity and poverty of the manger this Christmas.