Posted by The WORD in other words (2006) by Fr Nielo Cantilado SVD – Catholic Trade Manila
December 19 – Advent
When was the last time that you let God do the all the talking and doing?
My mom was so displeased after she learned for the first time from our neighbors and family friends that I was contemplating to enter the priesthood. After I got her reprimand for being so insensitive I thought I blew up all my chances, lost my credibility and guts to sit down with both my parents over the matter. To add to my anxiety, I was worried they’d use the full college scholarship which I earlier earned from a government agency as an excuse to dissuade me from pursuing my plan.
As a strategy, I sought the help of our parish priest then (Fr. Faustino Bisol), who in turn also sought the help of the parish priest of the neighboring town (then Fr. Arturo Bastes, SVD, now the bishop of Sorsogon) to speak with my parents and implore on my behalf. As planned, they did all the talking, and, as the saying goes, everything is history.
When the angel Gabriel broke the news to Zechariah about her wife bearing a child despite her age, he found it too unbelievable. Overwhelmed, he was unsure of the implications of this affair. Scared and feeling inadequate he didn’t know how he was going to break this news to his kinsfolk without being labeled as mentally deranged.
God, however, spared Zechariah from undue burden. God intervened and did all the talking for him. Zechariah was rendered “speechless and unable to talk until the days these things take place” (Lk 1:9). And when all these things had taken place God had emancipated the couple from the religious-cultural shame that their being childless kept them for many long years.
Didn’t Peter remind us to “cast all your anxiety upon Him (God) because He cares for you” (1 Pt 5:7)? God truly cares for us! He did care for Zechariah and Elizabeth blessing them with a child for remaining “righteous in the eyes of God, observing all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly” (Lk 1:3). Indeed, if we learn to leave all our troubles and worries to God’s care, He’ll do all the talking and doing for us.
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