November 5th - Elizabeth, Widow, and Zachary, Prophet (RM)
1st century. Elizabeth and Zachary were the parents of John the Baptist,
forerunner of Jesus. All we know about them is found in the first chapter
of
Luke's Gospel. "Both were righteous in the eyes of God, observing all the
commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly" (Luke 1:6, NAB).
Zachary was a priest of the Old Covenant and Elizabeth was of the family
of
Aaron.
Having reached middle age without the blessing of children, Zachary, while
officiating in the temple, had a vision of an angel who told him that his
prayers for a son would be answered. Zachary was incredulous. Perhaps to
prevent Zachary from sinning against hope, he was struck dumb until the
birth of his son who was to be called John, "who shall be filled with the
Holy Spirit even in his mother's womb and who should bring back many of
the
sons of Israel to the Lord their God."
Elizabeth was visited by Mary, the Mother of God, at which time Mary spoke
the hymn of praise now known as the Magnificat, although a few manuscripts
indicated it was Elizabeth who sang it.
Generally a child is named after a dead relative. This is what Elizabeth
and
Zachary's friends and neighbors expected. Yet his mother insisted that he
was to be named John, and his father wrote that he agreed.
The Canticle of Zachariah or Benedictus is prayed daily by Christians in
Morning Prayer. It is a song of high praise:
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel. He has come to His people to set
them free. He has raised up for us a mighty Savior, born of the house of
His
servant David.
Through His holy prophets He promised of old that He would save us from
our
enemies, from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers and to remember His holy
covenant.
This was the oath He swore to our father Abraham: to set us free from the
hands of our enemies, free to wor****p Him without fear, holy and righteous
in His sight all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will
go
before the Lord to prepare His way, to give His people knowledge of
salvation by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon
us, to ****ne on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and
to
guide our feet into the way of peace (Luke 1:68- 79).
Tradition, sup****ted by Saint Basil and Cyril of Alexandria, asserts that
Zachary died a martyr, killed in the Temple "between the ****ch and the
altar" by command of Herod, because he refused to disclose the whereabouts
of his son. The Roman Martyrology does not re****t this incident (Attwater,
Benedictines, Bentley, Delaney, Encyclopedia, Farmer, White).
In art, Elizabeth is shown clad as an elderly lady, holding the infant
John
the Baptist (anonymous Russian icon); or pregnant and greeting the Virgin
Mary (Piero di Cosimo; Marx Reichlich). Zacharias (anonymous Russian icon)
is generally pictured as an old priest with a censer and Saint Elizabeth
nearby. Sometimes he is shown in scenes of the birth and childhood of
Saint
John the Baptist (Roeder), or holding a lighted taper (White).
Saint Quote:
Let us endeavor to show ourselves full of compassion towards the faulty
and
the sinful. If we do not show compassion and charity to these, we do not
deserve to have God show it towards us.
-St. Vincent de Paul
Bible Quote
1 But the souls of the just are in the hand of God, and the torment of
death
shall not touch them. 2 In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die: and
their departure was taken for misery: 3 And their going away from us, for
utter destruction: but they are in peace. (Wisdom 3:1-3)
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Litany of November Saints
Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy, Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Christ the King of glory and Crown of all saints, have mercy on us
Holy Mary, pray for us.
*Pray for us
All the Saints in Heaven, pray for us*
Holy Souls when you enter the Church Triumphant *
St. Malachy More *
St. Sylvia, mother of Pope St. Gregory the Great *
St. Charles Borromeo, Protector of Trent *
Sts. Vitalis and Agricola, Holy
Martyrs *
Sts. Zachary and Elizabeth, Parents of the Baptist *
St. Bertilia, Virgin *
St. Leonard of Limoges, Patron of Captives *
St. Willibrord, Bishop and Patron of Holland *
Sts. Carina, Melasippus and Antony, Holy Martyrs *
St. Engelbert, Archbishop *
St. Severus, Severian, Carphophorus and Victorinus, Four Holy Crowned
Martyrs *
St. Godfrey, Bishop *
St. Theodore the Recruit, Martyr *
St. Andrew Avellino, Confessor *
St. Tryphon, Respicius and Nympha, Martyrs *
St. Martin of Tours, Patron of Soldiers *
St. Mennas, Martyr *
Pope St. Martin I, Martyr *
St. Didacus, Bishop, Missionary and Martyr *
St. Stanislaus Kostka, Patron of Poland *
St. Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr *
St. Lawrence O'Toole, Archbishop *
St. Sidonius, Abbot *
St. Albert the Great, Bishop and Doctor of the Church *
St. Gertrude the Great, Abbess and mystic *
St. Mechtilde of Helfta, Benedictine nun *
St. Gregory Thaumaturgus, Bishop *
Sts. Peter and Paul whose basilicas we honor *
St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Widow, Patroness of the Third Order of St.
Francis
*
Pope St. Pontianus, Martyr *
St. Felix of Valois, Religious *
St. Bernward, Bishop *
Blessed Virgin Mary, we observe thy Presentation *
St. Cecilia, Martyr and Patron of Musicians *
Pope St. Clement I, Martyr *
St. Felicitas, Martyr *
St. John of the Cross, Confessor and Doctor of the Church *
St. Chrysogonus, Martyr *
Sts. Flora and Mary, Virgin Martyrs *
St. Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin, Martyr and Patron of Philosophers *
St. Sylvester, Abbot *
St. Peter of Alexandria, Bishop and Martyr *
St. Leonard of ****t Maurice, Confessor and Patron of Parish Missions *
St. John Berchmans, Confessor and Patron of Altar Boys *
Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal *
St. Catherine Laboure, Virgin and Saint of the Miraculous Medal *
St. Saturnius, Confessor and Martyr *
St. Andrew, Apostle and Martyr, Patron of Fishermen, Russia and Scotland *
All you holy saints and angels, pray for us.
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