FAITHFUL GOD

Saturday in the 4th Week of Advent
Lk 1:67-79

The Jews are called “People of the Covenant” because their lives revolve around their covenant with Yahweh. That covenant is the center of their individual and communal lives. Everything gains meaning in the light of the covenant and all things should be anchored on the same covenant. Today, Zechariah, upon regaining his faculty to speak, declares God’s faithfulness to the covenant and the great things yet to come because of God’s fidelity.

Christmas is a time for us to renew our covenant with the Lord. It is a special time to look at the love and power of God that took shape in the womb of Mary and came among us in a flush of blood and water both in Bethlehem and in Calvary. It should also be an important chance for us to honestly examine how faithful we are to our covenant with God and how much of God’s fidelity we mirror to one another.

Faithfulness is the breaking of dawn upon a world darkened by infidelities. The world suffers from the absence of light that comes from faithful hearts. Faithfulness is the virtue that guides our feet into the way of peace, for peace is built on trust and trust is the fruit of fidelity.

When we strive to be faithful, we imitate God. Faithfulness may well be another name for God. He keeps His promises and His word become flesh.

We have Christmas because God kept His word. Christmas is celebrating God’s fidelity to us and striving to be as faithful as He is.