Today's Gospel in Art: 'No,' she said 'he is to be called John.'

The Birth and Naming of Saint John the Baptist, by Bernard Van Orley © Metropolitan Museum ..... New York

Gospel of 23rd December 2021 - Luke 1:57-66

The time came for Elizabeth to have her child, and she gave birth to a son; and when her neighbours and relations heard that the Lord had shown her so great a kindness, they shared her joy.

Now on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother spoke up. 'No,' she said 'he is to be called John.' They said to her, 'But no one in your family has that name', and made signs to his father to find out what he wanted him called. The father asked for a writing-tablet and wrote, 'His name is John.' And they were all astonished. At that instant his power of speech returned and he spoke and praised God. All their neighbours were filled with awe and the whole affair was talked about throughout the hill country of Judaea. All those who heard of it treasured it in their hearts. 'What will this child turn out to be?' they wondered. And indeed the hand of the Lord was with him.

Reflection on the Painting

In our painting from circa 1514 by Bernard Van Orley we see Saint Elizabeth in bed, shortly after giving birth to Saint John the Baptist. Below we see John being washed and prepared to be taken to the temple. In the very middle of the painting we see Zechariah carrying a scroll which declares that his son's name will be John. Behind him is Elizabeth taking the child towards the temple, represented in the top left corner. In the bottom left corner we see a peacock. Christians adopted the symbol of the peacock to represent immortality and rebirth. The peacock sheds it old feathers every year around Easter and grows, newer, brighter ones each year.

Our Gospel reading today states that when Elizabeth declared that her son was to be named 'John', everybody objected. They said 'But no one in your family has that name'. It thus shows that Elizabeth wanted to mark the start of a whole new tradition with the birth of her son. She wanted a new name for him, a new start, a new dawn, a new beginning.

The 'naming of John' marks a new start for us as well during Advent. It can be a break with our old ways and old habits, and mark the beginning of a new life. Especially as the name John means 'The Lord is gracious', we can invite God's graciousness into our lives… in preparation for the joy the birth of Jesus will bring to us.. Christmas is near!

LINKS

Today's story - https://christian.art/en/daily-gospel-reading/1031
Christian Art - www.christian.art/