Today’s gospel describes the birth and circumcision of John the Baptist. What strikes me today in this familiar story is the transformation that happens to the father, Zechariah. When the angel Gabriel first appeared to Zechariah in the temple, telling him that his prayers have been answered and that his barren wife will bear a child who will be a great prophet named John, Zechariah responds in disbelief, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” Zechariah’s response, at first glance, seems to be not too different from the Blessed Virgin Mary’s initial response at the Annunciation: “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” The subtle distinction between Zechariah’s “How shall I know this?” and Mary’s “How will this be?” makes all the difference. While Mary acknowledges that God’s plan will happen, though she does not understand how, Zechariah doubts the veracity of the message brought by the angel. Zechariah is effectively asking, “Why on earth should I believe this?” As a result, Zechariah is made unable to speak until the day that the angel’s message is fulfilled.

It seems to me that the silence imposed on Zechariah is part of God’s remedy for his disbelief. Zechariah’s inability to speak re-orients his worldview such that God becomes the speaker and he the listener. Through the nine long months of silence, God molds Zechariah’s heart to be more like Mary’s Immaculate Heart, a heart that is receptive to the grace of God. The silence allows Zechariah to see the marvelous plans of God unfold without his own anxious interjections. By making Zechariah silent, God assures Zechariah that He is in control, and that His plan is better than anything Zechariah could have imagined.

And so, in today’s gospel, at the circumcision of his son, Zechariah has learned his lesson. He writes on a tablet, “John is his name,” now affirming the message of the angel whom he had previously doubted. Instantly, Zechariah’s speech is restored, and he launches into a beautiful canticle praising the God whose marvelous plans will redeem Israel.

In these final days of Advent, God is inviting us into a deeper silence. Like Zechariah, we too can refrain from speaking, from worrying about all the things that have gone wrong in our world and from doubting God’s providence in what has been a tumultuous year. In this silence, we become more attentive to God and more able to see how He uses everything in our lives, including our suffering, for our salvation.