The Naming of John the Baptist

Tuesday, December 23, 2014
4th Week of Advent
1st Reading:
Mal 3:1-4, 23-24
Gospel: Lk 1:57-66
When the time came for Elizabeth, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the merciful Lord had done a wonderful thing for her and they rejoiced with her.
When on the eighth day they came to attend the circumcision of the child, they wanted to name him Zechariah after his father. But his mother said, “Not so; he shall be called John.” They said to her, “No one in your family has that name”; and they asked the father by means of signs for the name he wanted to give. Zechariah asked for a writing tablet and wrote on it, “His name is John,” and they were very surprised. Immediately Zechariah could speak again and his first words were in praise of God.
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the
Assimilated Life
Experience)
Mr. Wong is surprised about the looks of his newborn baby. While he is Chinese, his baby is black, kinky and big-eyed. He names him SAM TIM WONG which is “Something Wrong” to the hearing of the doctor. Suspecting that Mr. Wong is having doubts over the paternity of the baby he asks Mr. Wong, “It sounds as though you disown the baby!” Mr. Wong replies, “I shouldn’t have given the baby his name if I had my doubts”.
No parent would relegate to another the naming of his newborn because naming a baby is claiming authority over that baby.  In today’s Gospel, Elizabeth and Zechariah did not even submit to the suggestions of their relatives. Exercising their prerogative of naming the baby they insisted on calling him John.
The prerogative of naming is a kind of authority that comes with responsibility. Take for example the case of Adam who was given the prerogative of naming all plants and animals in the Garden of Eden. With that prerogative came the responsibility of being steward to them. Likewise in naming their baby parents proclaim their commitment to take responsibility over the upbringing of that baby.
Today’s Gospel message invites parents to monitor themselves in the area of responsibility. To relegate the formation of children completely to school authorities is sheer irresponsibility. School education is most effective only to children who have healthy family upbringing. Parents who are remiss in their responsibility over their children have no right to demand dedication from teachers.
Your children are your passports to heaven. You cannot be in paradise while your children languish in hell. In the first place they are in hell because you created devils out of them in their lifetime. Remember what Eric Erikson said about parents? We were all born princes and princesses until our parents kissed us into frogs. (Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., [email protected])
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