The gospel contains the first words that Zechariah uttered after recovering from being dumb and unable to speak. After Elizabeth gave birth to John, Zechariah sang this canticle now known as the Benedictus, which is proclaimed or sung after the Morning Prayer found in the Psalter. From his disbelief, he has discovered the great power of God, in fulfilling all His promises.

Our mouths were created for one primary purpose which is to give praise to God for all His wonders. It is therefore not surprising that the morning prayer starts with the invitatory “O Lord, OPEN my lips,” and the responsory is “and my mouth will proclaim your praise.” Our duty and responsibility as Christians to praise the Lord at all times, not with just mere lip service, but with facts, as Zechariah did. Our history of salvation is a living proof of God’s faithfulness. Zechariah, narrates with concrete experiences. He supports this praise with testimonies of Abraham, of David, and his own experience. The state of being dumb was preparing him for this great moment of professing his exaltation for God’s great mercy and salvation for man.

Let us not miss the opportunity to extol the greatness of God when given the chance. Let us not be ashamed of our faith, instead as Pope John Paul II often said: Let us be proud of our faith.