1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things which have been accomplished among us,

This opening reflects a common feature of Greek historical works, where authors often acknowledge prior sources or accounts. Historians like Herodotus and Thucydides frequently referenced earlier traditions or competing narratives, establishing their work as part of a broader intellectual effort.

Luke acknowledges that others have already written about the events of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. This suggests that the early Christian community valued the preservation of these events and that Luke sees his work as building upon and refining earlier efforts. The phrase “things which have been accomplished among us” emphasizes the historical reality of these events, which are central to the Catholic understanding of salvation history.

2 just as they were delivered to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word,

Greek historians often emphasized the reliability of their sources, particularly eyewitness accounts. Thucydides, for example, stressed the importance of firsthand testimony in his history of the Peloponnesian War.

Luke underscores the apostolic tradition, highlighting that the accounts he relies on come from eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word (the apostles and early disciples). This aligns with the Catholic emphasis on the importance of apostolic succession and the transmission of truth through the Church. The phrase “ministers of the word” also reflects the early Christian understanding of the Gospel as both a message and a living tradition.

3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,

Luke positions himself as a careful and deliberate historian, emphasizing his thorough investigation and orderly presentation.

Greek historians often prefaced their works with a statement of their methodology and purpose. For example, Thucydides claimed to have investigated events with accuracy and to present them in a clear, orderly manner. The address to a specific individual (Theophilus) is also reminiscent of dedicatory prefaces in Greek literature. Some scholars have suggested that Theophilus might actually refer to all lovers of God as that what the name “Theophilus” means but I think that is unlikely.

4 that you may know the truth concerning the things of which you have been informed.

Luke’s purpose is catechetical and apologetic. He writes to confirm the truth of the Christian message, ensuring that Theophilus (and by extension, all readers) have a firm foundation for their faith. This aligns with the Catholic understanding of Scripture as a source of divine revelation and a guide to salvation.

Greek historians often claimed to provide a more accurate or truthful account than their predecessors. For example, Herodotus sought to preserve the memory of great deeds, while Thucydides aimed to provide a factual record for future generations.

4:14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and a report concerning him went out through all the surrounding country.

Jesus’ has received his baptism, his anointing, by John the Baptist, not because he needed to repent but to qualify him by natural signs to be a prophet. (Basically for our benefit). Following that he was tempted in the desert by Satan and of course Jesus passes with flying colours. He now returns to Galilee “in the power of the Spirit”, his public life has begun and his divine mission begins in front of all to see. A “report concerning him went out through all the surrounding country”.

15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.

Jesus makes himself known by the masses of Jews by teaching in their Synagogues. This was the local community teaching and prayer hub that would have been built in every town. Jesus is glorified by all that hear him. When positioning himself as only a Rabbi, Jesus receives no opposition, he is glorified by all. This means elders and scribes who are present in the synagogues did not have a problem when they thought he was just being a rabbi.

16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and he went to the synagogue, as his custom was, on the sabbath day. And he stood up to read;

Jesus returns to the place of his childhood, in this case, those who he would be preaching to and teaching in this synagogue of Nazareth, would already know who he is. To them he is not some itinerant wise rabbi, he is “that guy down the road”. I always find that kind of funny, he has been living quietly and obediently to his parents up until the point that he is to be made known to the world, so none of the people who grew up with him would have seen this coming.

Jesus goes to the Synagogue “as his custom was, on the sabbath day”. It was not a requirement to attend Synagogue, it is not the Temple but Jesus as an obedient and faithful first century Jewish Palestinian went every Sabbath. This was seen as a sign of holiness as only a pious person would do something optional so consistently. A little side note, they actually discovered the first century foundations of a synagogue exactly where Nazareth was supposed to be, much to the annoyance of modern sceptics who doubt the place ever existed at all.

Jesus as he has done in the previous synagogues, begins to teaching. Starting the start of the Synagogue service where the Rabbi would stand up to read from the Law of Moses or one of the Prophets, these writings would be copied on scrolls that were stored in jars in the building itself. He will stand up to read and sit down to teach, as we will see.

17 and there was given to him the book of the prophet Isaiah. He opened the book and found the place where it was written,

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,

19 to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

Weird translation choices for the modern ears, a SCROLL of the Prophet Isaiah was given to Jesus to read, and he finds a place where it is written or actually multiple places because Jesus does not directly quote one particular passage. Jesus uses three different components of Isaiah as a witness to his ministry. Isaiah 61:1, 35:5/42:7, 58:6 and then finishes the lines of the first section quoted 61:2. This is a summary of his mission details ,who sent him and why.

20 And he closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.

Jesus rolls up the scroll….and gives it back to the attendant or minister. This was person who was in charge of maintaining the synagogue along with the very valuable scriptures within them, Jesus sits down because this is the correct teaching position in the first century Judaism. Teaching authority is in the Seat of Moses, not the pulpit. All the eyes of those in in attendance of the synagogue service are on him, as they should be. This was how a synagogue service went, the Rabbi would stand and read then sit and teach. This is where they would get their first century Jewish catechesis, this is the origin of the Liturgy of the Word that we have in the Mass. So everyone should be paying attention.

21 And he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

22 And all spoke well of him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth; and they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?”

Instead of teaching on what he read out to them, Jesus announces that it was a prophecy that in their hearing…is fulfilled. This is not a lesson as much as a proclamation. The people arrive every Sabbath to hear a teaching on the Prophets or the Law but Jesus has instead proclaimed the year of the Lords favour, the promised time when the captives will be freed. The thing that the Christ, the Anointed One, would do, will be done and actually has been fulfilled and also, Jesus is that anointed one because God is upon him. To us this all sounds good because we believe it but you have to imagine the reaction from the people who grew up with “normal” Jesus in Nazareth. Is he not just Joseph’s son?

Chapter three of Luke’s Gospel introduces us to the time and ministry of Saint John the Baptist. He comes out of wilderness, going to all the regions about the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. He gives guidance to the people seeking help in turning away from their previous lives in anticipation of the Messianic age, some are led to the misunderstanding that John himself is the Messiah but he will correct them.

15 As the people were in expectation, and all men questioned in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he were the Christ,

The multitudes surrounding John the Baptist are in a state of “expectation”. This was typical for most Jews of the first century AD. The Messianic prophecy timeline proclaimed in the Book of Daniel gives to points that narrows the window of when the Messiah will arrive. The Weeks of Years given to Daniel by the Archangel Gabriel in Daniel 9:24-27 and the Statue of Kingdoms in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream that Daniel correctly interprets with his God given gifts in Daniel 2.

The “weeks of years” from Daniel 9:24-27 outline a prophetic timeline of 490 years, starting from a decree to rebuild Jerusalem (commonly dated to 445/444 BC). Adding 483 years (the first 69 “weeks”) brings the timeline to around AD 30-33, aligning with Jesus’ ministry and crucifixion, seen as the fulfillment of the prophecy about the coming and cutting off of the Messiah.Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2 depicts a statue symbolizing successive empires—Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome—culminating in God’s eternal kingdom, represented by a stone that destroys the statue and fills the earth, fulfilled in Christ’s kingdom during the Roman era.

The Jews are filled to the brim with messianic fervour right at this moment and they see a figure dressed like Elijah preaching repentance, baptising people and saying he was sent by God. It is actually very understandable why they question in their hearts whether he is the Christ (christos), the Anointed one. He appears like everything they were waiting for.

16 John answered them all, “I baptize you with water; but he who is mightier than I is coming, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

John answers all of those questioning whether he is the Christ by proclaiming that he only baptises with water. He is the forerunner for one that is actually mightier than he is. So however high they might hold John, He who is to come, is MUCH more important. He is repositioning their perception and goes further to illustrate just how distant he is from the one who is to come by asserting himself as lower than a slave in comparison to the frontrunner he precedes. He does this by saying he is not worthy to undo the strap of the frontrunners sandal. This was a job relegated to slaves or servants, John is not even worthy to do that for Jesus.

This Jesus, the frontrunner, will baptise with the Holy Spirit and fire. An outpouring of the Holy Spirit is promised by the prophets, Jesus will be the one to do it. He will also baptise with fire, fire is a typical symbol of purification and holiness, God’s throne and chariot as described in various theophanies of the Old Testament is usually on fire in some capacity or surrounded by it. Fire is also the method for sacrificial offerings in the Temple, the burning of incense and guided the Israelites in the wilderness, fire is not just perceived as holy but as the method to give offerings to God.

21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened,

Skipping a few verses ahead to 21 (the readings at Mass do this sometimes) we reach the baptism of Jesus. After all the people in attendance are baptised, Jesus himself was also baptised. Unlike the other Gospels, Luke does not give us the back and forth dialogue between Jesus and John but Luke does emphasise something not referenced elsewhere, after his baptism, Jesus prays. Luke makes a point of telling his audience that at every significant moment of Jesus’ life he is united to the Father in prayer.

Following Jesus’ prayer the heavens themselves are opened. Luke does not specify if everyone could see this, the Gospel of John indicates that only some could visually see the supernatural things occurring whereas others were blind to it. In Isaiah 63 we have the line “Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down” this became a common prayer of Jew’s, it was seen as a prayer of anticipation, that when the Day of the Lord came, he would open the heavens and come down to his people, this expectation is fulfilled in the opening of heaven at Jesus’ baptism. This marks Jesus’ incarnation as the conduit between earth and heaven itself.

22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form, as a dove, and a voice came from heaven, “Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased.”

When the heavens are opened the Holy Spirit descends upon him “in bodily form, as a dove”. The Gospel authors emphasise this physical manifestation of the Holy Spirit as a dove. It is seen symbolically as like the dove that marks the end of the Deluge in the time of Noah, a great cleansing has occurred, a New Earth is here. The cleansing is not seen as of Jesus himself but of him sanctifying the waters of the earth for the true baptisms that will be the entry way into the New Covenant.

A voice comes down from heaven “Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased.” It is not clear whether all those in attendance heard the words said by the Father in heaven or if they are just for Jesus’ ears but Peter will state in his second epistle that he personally heard the voice of the Father at the Transfiguration which was a similar scenario.

The Father calls Jesus his “beloved Son” although this is obviously language of great affection it points to sorrow that will occur in Jesus’ future. This is similar language to how Isaac is described, where the first pre-enactment of the crucifixion takes place on Mount Moriah in the time of Abraham.

In the beginning of Chapter 5 of Luke Gospel, Jesus has been teaching the crowds on the shore of the Lake of Gennesaret (this is just an alternate name for the Sea of Galilee.) He has been using Simon’s boat as his cathedra, sitting down and teaching and when he has finished speaking he enables Simon and his fellow fisherman to make a miraculous catch of fish. Simon tells Jesus to depart from him for he sees a wide abyss of holiness between his sinfulness and Jesus’ magnificence. Jesus tells him that he should basically get used to it because from now on he will be catching just as many men.

12 While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and besought him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.”

Whilst Jesus is doing ministry in one of cities surrounding the Sea of Galilee a man stricken with leprosy comes to him seeking healing. Leprosy was a considered a curse from God for sins and the Mosaic Law required particular treatment of these individuals and for their own way of living. They are not to live within the confines of the covenant community, they are to wear torn clothing and have their hair hang loosely, this is to mark them out physically as lepers to protect others from contracting the disease.

Leprosy was considered such a horrific condition that only God could relieve someone from it, in the Old Testament God strikes Miriam with leprosy and then heals her, Moses is given a leprous hand and then God changes it back. Other incidents from the Old Testament have God’s prophets being the intermediary between lepers and God, healing them with God’s power. Basically if you have leprosy, God is your only hope. So why does a leper think Jesus can help?

Luke records the leper calling Jesus “Lord” kyrios in Greek which in the Septuagint is the term used to fill in for God’s name. When you see LORD in bold for example, the word used in the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures used kyrios. Luke is telling us that the leper knows, like everyone else, that only God can cure leprosy and he perceives Jesus to be at the very least, a representative of God on Earth. The New Testament writers were Septuagint enjoyers, the Masoretic texts used in Protestant bibles won’t be copied out for another 700-1000 years.

13 And he stretched out his hand, and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him.

Jesus stretches out to touch the leper, this is an insane thing to do, touching what is unclean would make a normal person unclean. Since Jesus is not a normal person but a divine being, he can touch the leper. Not all healing stories of lepers require physical touch, in another place, Jesus cures multiple lepers by thought alone. The method in which Jesus choose to administer healings seems to depend on the disposition of the individual. This is how it works in our own times, particular devotions or pious practices appeal to different people in different ways, all leading back to Jesus himself.

Jesus states that he will make the leper clean, and simply orders, by fiat, the leper to “be clean”. Immediately the leprosy vanishes from the man. This is a miraculous cure and not a medicine mans gradual treatment of an ailment. This reflects the way God makes leprosy appear and disappear with Miriam and Moses. Only God can do this.

14 And he charged him to tell no one; but “go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to the people.”

After the leper is healed, Jesus orders him to tell no one and simply show himself to the priest and make an offering for his cleansing as Moses instructs in the book of the Law. This would be from the writing in Leviticus. The priest is to inspect a leper that has been cured since as we pointed out earlier, a leper is considered out of the covenant community, in order to be allowed back in, the priest who is in charge of liturgical worship has to give the “O.K”. He is to make a thanksgiving offering in the Temple in response to his healing of leprosy and all of this will also serve a proof to the people that he is no longer leprous and can be part of the covenant community again.

Many people have implied Jesus’ charge of not telling people as a sign of reverse psychology and that he really wants his miracles to spread as far as possible but this is unlikely and has no evidence backing it. Jesus times every meticulously, as his “hour” is to occur at a very specific time. The way he charges the leper tempers his broadcast just enough that it would not change the timeline of events of Jesus’ ministry.

15 But so much the more the report went abroad concerning him; and great multitudes gathered to hear and to be healed of their infirmities.

The healed leper appears to ignore the charge given to him by Jesus and the report goes abroad concerning his miraculous healing abilities causing great multitudes to gather, hear and be healed themselves. But the effect of the charge might not be as surface level as people perceive, we do not know how this would have gone down if Jesus hadn’t given it. Maybe it would have spread even more, maybe the story would have been more believable to people causing a wider contingency of individuals to turn up and receive healings. We don’t know but I really do not think that “reverse psychology” is what Jesus was doing.

16 But he withdrew to the wilderness and prayed.

In response to these multitudes Jesus withdraws back into the wilderness and prays. The wilderness is the land that was perceived by Second Temple Jews as the dominion of evil spirits like Lillits, night demons but Jesus has already conquered the wilderness by rejecting the temptations of the devil there. So now, it is a place of peace and rest in which he can withdraw and pray to his Father in Heaven.

The following scene at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry takes place in what appears to be immediately after the temptation in the desert. Some scholars suggest that Luke places this at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry for thematic purposes others suggest this is evidence of Luke’s desire of strict historicity. Either works really.

14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and a report concerning him went out through all the surrounding country.

Jesus’ has received his baptism, his anointing, by John the Baptist, not because he needed to repent but to qualify him by natural signs to be a prophet. (Basically for our benefit). Following that he was tempted in the desert by Satan and of course Jesus passes with flying colours. He now returns to Galilee “in the power of the Spirit”, his public life has begun and his divine mission begins in front of all to see. A “report concerning him went out through all the surrounding country”.

15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.

Jesus makes himself known by the masses of Jews by teaching in their Synagogues. This was the local community teaching and prayer hub that would have been built in every town. Jesus is glorified by all that hear him. When positioning himself as only a Rabbi, Jesus receives no opposition, he is glorified by all. This means elders and scribes who are present in the synagogues did not have a problem when they thought he was just being a rabbi.

16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and he went to the synagogue, as his custom was, on the sabbath day. And he stood up to read;

Jesus returns to the place of his childhood, in this case, those who he would be preaching to and teaching in this synagogue of Nazareth, would already know who he is. To them he is not some itinerant wise rabbi, he is “that guy down the road”. I always find that kind of funny, he has been living quietly and obediently to his parents up until the point that he is to be made known to the world, so none of the people who grew up with him would have seen this coming.

Jesus goes to the Synagogue “as his custom was, on the sabbath day”. It was not a requirement to attend Synagogue, it is not the Temple but Jesus as an obedient and faithful first century Jewish Palestinian went every Sabbath. This was seen as a sign of holiness as only a pious person would do something optional so consistently. A little side note, they actually discovered the first century foundations of a synagogue exactly where Nazareth was supposed to be, much to the annoyance of modern sceptics who doubt the place ever existed at all.

Jesus as he has done in the previous synagogues, begins to teaching. Starting the start of the Synagogue service where the Rabbi would stand up to read from the Law of Moses or one of the Prophets, these writings would be copied on scrolls that were stored in jars in the building itself. He will stand up to read and sit down to teach, as we will see.

17 and there was given to him the book of the prophet Isaiah. He opened the book and found the place where it was written,

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,

19 to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

Weird translation choices for the modern ears, a SCROLL of the Prophet Isaiah was given to Jesus to read, and he finds a place where it is written or actually multiple places because Jesus does not directly quote one particular passage. Jesus uses three different components of Isaiah as a witness to his ministry. Isaiah 61:1, 35:5/42:7, 58:6 and then finishes the lines of the first section quoted 61:2. This is a summary of his mission details ,who sent him and why.

20 And he closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.

Jesus rolls up the scroll….and gives it back to the attendant or minister. This was person who was in charge of maintaining the synagogue along with the very valuable scriptures within them, Jesus sits down because this is the correct teaching position in the first century Judaism. Teaching authority is in the Seat of Moses, not the pulpit. All the eyes of those in in attendance of the synagogue service are on him, as they should be. This was how a synagogue service went, the Rabbi would stand and read then sit and teach. This is where they would get their first century Jewish catechesis, this is the origin of the Liturgy of the Word that we have in the Mass. So everyone should be paying attention.

21 And he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

22 And all spoke well of him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth; and they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?”

Instead of teaching on what he read out to them, Jesus announces that it was a prophecy that in their hearing…is fulfilled. This is not a lesson as much as a proclamation. The people arrive every Sabbath to hear a teaching on the Prophets or the Law but Jesus has instead proclaimed the year of the Lords favour, the promised time when the captives will be freed. The thing that the Christ, the Anointed One, would do, will be done and actually has been fulfilled and also, Jesus is that anointed one because God is upon him. To us this all sounds good because we believe it but you have to imagine the reaction from the people who grew up with “normal” Jesus in Nazareth. Is he not just Joseph’s son?

Jesus has been born in Bethlehem to Mary and Joseph. An angel appeared to shepherds in the field, telling them that the Savior has been born, the anointed one has come. People who object to the December birth of Jesus typically point to the shepherds as their proof. Their assumption is based on an insular western view of shepherding limited to the scope of America and Europe. In the western world you cannot and would not attempt to shepherd in a hostile winter environment, Bethlehem however has mild winters and there was a necessity for lambs year round because of the sacrifices in the Temple. The shepherds do not “prove” the December birth but they definitely do not offer any evidence against it.

16 And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

The shepherds, after hearing the proclamation of the angel, make their journey to the Christ child with “haste”. Their urgency highlights their willingness to accept the Messiah. They find Mary and Joseph with the baby Jesus who is “lying in a manger”. A manger is a feeding trough for livestock. This is where people get the idea of some separate building like a barn or a cave from but this comes from a misunderstanding of a common domestic practice of this time period and location.

If a building had multiple floors, the ground level, with a dirt floor would have been used for storage of items and animals. The second level of the home would have been where people ate and slept. This typically would be single room levels but the word in Luke 2:7 that gets translated to “Inn” is Katalyma which actually means spare room which implies a multi-roomed complex. There is no space in the spare room , implying another room for living perhaps the owners of the building,so they have to make board on the ground floor with the animals.

17 And when they saw it they made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child;

When the shepherds arrived they told Mary and Joseph what had been proclaimed to them. This would have been what the angel said in in Luke 2:9-12

And the angel said to them, “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

They find the baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.This is the sign they are to look out for to know that this was truly a sign from God. Ancient Hebrews were very preoccupied with “signs” as proofs of divine intervention especially when things would differ from the norm. This is why the Pharisees will demand “signs” from Jesus in his ministry.

18 and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.

“And all who heard it wondered” this is not referring to Jesus’ parents, this is further evidence of the previous comment I made on the living arrangements and the particular arrangement of this home they are staying at. The main living quarters is full with the owners, the spare room is full, likely with a whole other family and Mary, Joseph and Jesus are in the ground floor room. There are likely at least two full families (as it is the time of the census) who are present this entire time, the text just does not explicitly name them. Based on the details in Matthew when cross-referenced with Luke we also know that it can’t be the Magi either, they will not arrive till much later. Staying with strangers is not very likely, Joseph went to the City of David because for the census you are to enrol in your home of origin, so this is most likely the extended family of Joseph himself who are present.

19 But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart.

Mary has already received many wondrous words from Gabriel and has birthed the Christ Child. On top of all these things, she also ponders the mysteries of the revelation to the shepherds. Mary as the archetypal contemplative ponders all these things in her heart. This is a Lukan feature not expressed in the other Gospels. This can be attributed to the ancient tradition that Luke interviewed Mary personally to get these details. Contemplative prayer has the deepest richness of fruits but it is not flashy, it is not something anyone would have noticed without Mary herself telling someone. Luke’s consulting of eyewitnesses reveals this to us.

20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

The shepherds, after the fulfilment of all that had been revealed to them return to their flocks in the fields. They glorify an praise God because they had been selected as witnesses to God’s intervention in history.

21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

After eight days has passed, Jesus is circumcised and as according to the custom, this is when he receives name, not at his birth as we typically do today. The naming authority is given to the father so Joseph would have been the one to actually name Jesus as Jesus. This is the name the angel told them they must call the child and in obedience they name him this.A fulfilment of what was spoken to them by the Lord.

Following the Presentation in the Temple to the righteous and devout Simeon on the fortieth day of Jesus’ life, Luke introduces Anna. This is typical of Luke’s narrative style, he pairs up the historical events of Jesus’ life to show the openness of the Gospel message. A man and then a woman, a Jew and then a Gentile.

36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanu-el, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity,

After the episode with Simeon, Luke introduces Anna who is a prophetess. A prophetess might make many shudder with presumptions of paganism but this was a real role within Jewish society documented in scripture and in their non-canonical writings. Miriam in the Book of Exodus and Deborah in the Book of Judges are described this way. It means what it sounds like, they are a woman who receives direct messages from God in order to guide the people.

Her name, Anna, is the Greek rendition of the name Hannah which means “grace” or “favour.” Considering she is an Israelite and in the Temple, we can assume that Hannah is her real name.

She is the daughter of Phanu-el. Phanu-el means “Face of God”. It was very rare for people to have unique names, especially in Second Temple Judaic culture. Phanu-el is unlikey to be the name of her father but Phanu-el is a variation of the spelling of “Peniel” or “pᵊnû’ēl” (same word/meaning just different spelling because standardised spellings of words is a modern invention) This is an interesting detail because this is mentioned in the Old Testament. In Genesis 32:30 Jacob wrestles with a mysterious figure until day break, this figure blesses Jacob and renames him Israel “So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, ‘For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved’” Perhaps this labelling of Anna is that her family come from this place and on top of that, fulfilled Jacob’s incomplete meeting with God.

Anna’s tribal origin is also included, she is of have tribe of Asher. This can be confusing for people as most assume that all the other tribes are gone but suddenly Luke just includes some random person here of a lost tribe. This is a misunderstanding of how this actually worked. There were a minority of surviving peoples descended from the other tribes, but there were no leaders of them and they were massively outnumbered by the Judeans (Tribe of Judah/Benjamin) at the time of Jesus.

Anna is very old, “probaino” is Greek for “advance” and could mean literally “to go forward” but in the context of age it means someone “well on in years”, “advanced in age” which is how it is used here. She lived with her husband from the moment of the consummation of their marriage, this is in line with how Jewish weddings typically went. You did not live together till the wedding night and the wedding night would have marked the consummation of their union therefore “from her virginity”

37 and as a widow till she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.

Anna remains a widow “till she was eight-four”. The till used here is the Greek word “heos“. It does not imply a reversal, she is very much still a widow in the following verses. Heos is a particle that denotes a time limit/frame, Luke is describing the moments from her marriage to the present in his narrative. This might seem like an odd thing to pick on but this is the word many (bad) sola scriptura fundamentalists get their modern idea of Mary conceiving children other than Jesus in Matthew 1:25 “but knew her not until she had borne a son; and he called his name Jesus.” They do not understand how the common twenty-first century use of till/until is different to two-thousand years ago but this passage demonstrates it nicely.

Some suggest Anna’s age symbolizes her completeness in devotion to God and her role as a representative of faithful Israel, waiting for the Messiah. In Jewish numerology, numbers often carry symbolic significance. 84 is 7 × 12, combining the perfection or completeness of 7 with the covenantal or tribal significance of 12 (e.g., the 12 tribes of Israel).

She does not depart from the Temple. To be clear, this as, as with most other references in the New Testament, is referencing the Temple Complex. Herod’s Temple complex was built in concentric rectangular courts, increasing with purity and decreasing in access until you reach the center where the actual Temple was. The Temple itself was for priests only (The Court of Priests), outside of this was for ritually pure Jewish men (The Court of Israel), then for the broader Jewish community (The Court of Women) and the outer most court for non-Jewish God fearers (The Court of Gentiles). The Presentation of infant boys would be in the Court of Women, which is where Anna also resides and this episode with her follows Jesus’ presentation in the Temple.

Anna resides in the Temple complex in the Court of Women, permanently as a widow, this speaks to the cultural and religious practices as it pertains to the involvement of women in Second Temple Judaism. It would be the historical root of the Order of Widows that would develop in the Church as the consecrated religious life for women (Nuns). Anna spends her time in fasting and prayer. Many assume such practices are made up traditions by medieval Catholic piety but it’s in fact an ancient practice of repentance. Considering her piety and life story it is not likely that Anna is doing this for her own sins but as a penance for the sins of her people, something that Jews absolutely believed was a fruitful spiritual practice.

38 And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God, and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

“And coming up at that very hour” is a way of saying “at the same time”. Luke is locking this moment with Anna to that of Simeon’s Song where the Holy Spirit revealed the baby Jesus to him as Savior. Anna gives thanks to God for the revelation of the Messiah and speaks of him (Jesus) to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. Second Temple Judaism in the first century was in a fever pitch of messianic expectation because of the prophecies from the Book of Daniel

39 And when they had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth.

Before they return to region of Galilee and their own city of Nazareth, they “performed everything according to the law of the Lord”. This would be the Mosaic requirements of the first born. According to Exodus 13:2, 12–15 and Numbers 18:15–16, the firstborn male of every family was considered consecrated to the Lord and they had to brought to the Temple for a sacrifice to be made. The general requirement is that of a lamb but poor Jews could offer two turtle doves or two pigeons. The latter is what the Holy Family offer at the Temple. There was also a requirement for a financial offering of five shekels but this is not mentioned in the Gospels. Either this practice fell out of favour, the Holy Family paid it but Luke did not think it significant to mention or because of unique reasons to Jesus, circumstance enabled him to be exempt from such an offering. The second option the most likely in my opinion.

40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

Reflecting the verses about the Prophet Samuel in 1 Samuel we have the first of two growth statements about Jesus by Luke, the second one coming at the Finding in the Temple when Jesus is twelve years old. In this case it is when Jesus is forty days old and he naturally (in the sense of human biology) grew and became strong. He is already, at only forty days old, filled with wisdom and the favor of God is upon him.

The Finding in the Temple is the last of the infancy narrative that we know of Jesus from scripture. After this is the secret years of the Holy Family until Jesus starts his ministry.

41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover.

The Holy Family went to Jerusalem each year as was required for the Passover feast. It was one of three such compulsory feasts that required physical attendance at the Temple. The one mentioned here is the Passover but the other two are the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Tabernacles. The reason physical attendance was necessary was because of the sacrifices which had to be done at the Temple itself. Passover takes place in Nisan, the first of the Hebrew months which is roughly March/April time. It depended on the moon so it could vary slightly. At it’s peak some one million Jews would be in attendance in Jerusalem during this feast.

42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom;

When Jesus is twelve years old they go up as usual for the Passover Feast. Some Jewish traditions hold that the prophet Samuel was twelve when God called him so some commentators suggest that Luke makes note of this event specifically because of this.

In the first century, the age of twelve for boys was also seen as the pivot point to adulthood. This would be the moment when they would be instructed officially in the Torah. The Mishnah, compiled in the second century says boys aged twelve to thirteen are to begin “learning the commandments”. This is likely to have been in place at the time of Jesus. Our sense of maturity because of laws and cultural development can lead us to glance over the detail of Jesus’ age in this passage but in its own context, this is the age a boy starts becoming a man. This could be the reason Luke includes this as the final part of the childhood narrative as to them, this actually is in a sense the end of Jesus’ childhood.

43 and when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it,

After the Feast ends, which lasts seven days, the Holy Family begin their journey back to Nazareth. This would take approximately two days to complete. The business of Jerusalem and the comings and goings of caravans of entire towns making their pilgrimages causes a bit of confusion for the Holy Family. They assume Jesus is simply with someone else in the caravan as the rest of the Nazerenes make their way back but he actually stays behind without Mary or Joseph realising.

Some suggest that Mary and Joseph must have been careless but again, these journeys were not done alone, they were not just a family of three walking together, all the Jews of their town would have gone together and the closer you are to Jerusalem on this journey, the more intermixed you are with other towns in their caravans. We are talking thousands upon thousands travelling in one direction. It’s easy for the most attentive of parents to lose their child in a sea of a hundred people let alone thousands. Jesus’ age being one of burgeoning maturity also means they were likely to have given him some independence in this journey, they were definitely not careless.

44 but supposing him to be in the company they went a day’s journey, and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances;

Mary and Joseph assume Jesus is simply with their kinfolk within their caravan and after a days journey which is roughly half-way to Nazareth they seek him among the towns caravan.

45 and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking him.

After searching through all their fellow Nazerenes, Jesus is nowhere to be found. Mary and Joseph make their way back to the city in order to search for him there.

46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions;

After three days, one day to travel back to Jerusalem and then two days of searching the city itself they find him in the Temple. This is likely to be in the outer court of Herod’s Temple complex. Either the Court of Gentiles or the Court of Women. The next two inner courts, the Court of Israel would be for ritually pure Jewish adult men only and the Court of Priests was for priests only as the name implies. The other two outer courts would have been open to the child Jesus.

Jesus is found with the teachers of the Law, this would have been the scribes and pharisees. He is listening to them and asking them questions.

47 and all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.

Considering the age again as it was the age of learning the Torah, this was supposed to be the time for Jewish boys to be instructed but Jesus demonstrates a profound understanding of the Law already. Something that shocks the teachers there. They are used to a child this age just starting to learn but he appears to have so much knowledge that they are amazed.

Something that always sticks out to me is Jesus is only twelve in this episode of his life. In eighteen years he will be preaching in these courts himself. It is very likely that the scribes, pharisees and maybe even priests who sit here in bewilderment of his knowledge at such a young age will be the same people who condemn him to die. When he is a child it is seen a novelty, a crowd is probably gathered, all amused but not quite fully understanding why this boy is so knowledgeable and also something not threatening but as he gets older, these men and crowds will turn on him.

48 And when they saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously.”

His parents are astonished at seeing him but does not tell us exactly what they are astonished about. It is most likely that he is interacting so casually with authoritative teachers of the Law. Mary shows genuine distress and asks her Son why he has treated them so? They are not aware of why he stayed in the Temple and did not go with them. Although Mary was told unknowable things about her Son to she did not know all the details of his life. This would be a surprise.

Mary tells Jesus that both her and his father have been looking for him anxiously. This is the last time in scripture we have referencing Joseph being alive.

49 And he said to them, “How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

The first words of Jesus are now spoken. “How is it you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house”. The fact these are the first recorded words of Jesus is phenomenal and are much to ponder on from a spiritual standpoint but that is not the point of these commentaries. When Jesus asks why did they look for him we should not see this as a rude question, it is because to him, it should be self evident where he would be. This tells us that even at twelve Jesus is fully aware of who he is.

Jesus calls the Temple “my Father’s house”. The Temple was the House of God. That was its purpose, to serve as a dwelling for God. Jesus in his first words is stating from his own knowledge that he is the Son of God. People make a big fuss of Jesus not explicitly saying that he is divine and claim that it is only in John, which to me just means they have never read the Gospels at all. To be a son of something is to share its nature. If the Temple is his Father’s house and the Temple is the House of God then Jesus is saying he is the Son of God and therefore has the same nature as him. This is a divine statement and he says it at age twelve.

50 And they did not understand the saying which he spoke to them.

Mary and Joseph of course do not understand what this means. The mystery of the incarnation was difficult for everyone and although Mary was told many things about her Son by the angel Gabriel, it would have still be very confusing. We have the advantage of two thousand years of the Church, things that were considered impossible are literally our starting point. Like the resurrection of Jesus for example. The incarnation was an unknowable mystery, Jesus will repeat things to his disciples many times, they will see his miracles and still not get “it”. We should not be hard on Mary and Joseph for not understanding what Jesus meant by this statement.

51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.

Jesus goes with Mary and Joseph back to Nazareth and was obedient to them. This obedience is an example of divine condescension on a level that is very hard for us mortals to grasp. God incarnate is being obedient to his earthly parents.

Mary keeps all these moments in her heart. She ponders them, she takes the very events into her being which is why heart is used by Luke in this verse. Life is in the blood and the heart pumps the life around. Using this term is not one of wishy-washy emotional hallmark cards. Mary took this moment into her Soul.

52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man.

Jesus grows in his human nature like a normal boy does, this does not negate his divinity. He does not exercise infinite knowledge in his ministry or his childhood. Luke is describing Jesus’ physical growth (stature) and he increases in human wisdom. Jesus also grows in favour with God and man. This line seems an allusion to 1 Samuel again which uses similar language describing the prophet Samuel. Jesus is positioned as a new Moses, a new David, a new Adam and Luke in this passage seems to be highlighting Jesus also as a new Samuel.

What follows is the prayer by Zechariah known as a Canticle after he receives back his ability to speak. He was previously made mute because of his disbelief before the Angel sent by God. The prayer is known in Catholic Tradition as the Benedictus because in Latin that is the first word of Zechariah’s song. It means blessed.

67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying,

Luke narrates that Zechariah has been filled with the Holy Spirit and like his wife, will there prophesy before those present. This is not a new concept limited to the Gospels and the Book of Acts but present repeatedly in the Old Testament. In Numbers 11:25-29 the Spirit of God descends on the elders and they…prophesy, in 1 Samuel 10:6-10 Saul is filled with the spirit when he prophesies his anointing as King of Israel and the Prophet Joel in Joel 2:28-29 says that the spirit will pour upon the people and they shall prophesy after it happening so this seems to be a mechanism by God to bring prophecy to the peoples, the Holy Spirit fills the person and speaks through them.

68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people,

Zechariah gives his Benediction, his blessing of God, the Lord God of Israel. His blessing is in response to God visiting his people and redeeming them. This prophecy is that toward the oncoming Incarnation of Jesus where God will in the flesh visit his people and dwell among them and also by taking on a Human Nature, will redeem them.

A long time expectation of the people toward God is that He will do this. Psalm 106:4-5 speaks of this, the Israelites had an expectation that at some point he would come and save them. Both Malachi and Isaiah will speak of the same promise that is to come, Zechariah is proclaiming that is about to be fulfilled.

69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,

The Horn of salvation in the house of David is a reference to Hannah’s song in 1 Samuel 2:10.

“The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; against them he will thunder in heaven. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth. He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

The anointed would be the Christ, that is what Christos means, the anointed figure, the King who will receive God’s strength (or we could interpret as authority) will be given to this one born of the House of David. This would be the figure of Jesus who is a descendant of David and the anointed (Christos) who will receive authority from the ancient of days.

“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13-14)

70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,

Isaiah, Malachi, Joel, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Zacheriah and Micah and so on, all speak of what is to come. The father of John the Baptist is again, proclaiming that the culmination of all things before this moment in the fullness of time are about to come into fruition. Everything the prophets said is about to come true.

71 that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us;

72 to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant,

The ancient Israelites and the first century Jews believed that the Messiah would deliver them from their enemies, those who have attacked them over the centuries. That all the promises made to their ancestors about deliverance would occur because this was a part of the covenant promises made by God. He said he would save them and extend his mercy toward them, God bound himself by his covenant promise, he will deliver what he promised.

73 the oath which he swore to our father Abraham,

74 to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear,

75 in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life.

Zechariah brings to mind the original covenant made with Abraham, where God picked out his portion after the splintering of the nations at Babel, that his descendants would bless the entire world including all the nations that had made themselves enemies of the Israelites.

All so they would be able to worship the Lord God without fear of oppression. Now some had the view that this would come about because God would destroy these enemies but God instead converts the hearts of these nations and Christendom will become the dominant faith of the world at large. They will be able to worship in holiness and righteousness, a purification of the liturgy will occur, as is described in the Letter to Hebrews.

76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,

Zechariah now turns his prophetic attention to his Son, John. He will be called the Prophet of the Most High. John the Baptist will be considered the greatest and the last of the Old Covenant prophets. He is the forerunner who will “go before the Lord to prepare his ways”. John will fulfil all of this in his ministry and will only begin to decrease when it is time for the Lord to increase, when he points him out as the Lamb of God that Isaac himself asked of atop Mount Moriah when Abraham was called to sacrifice for the Lord.

77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins,

John will give a baptism of repentance which will prepare the peoples whose hearts are open for the salvation offered by Jesus. Their sins will be forgiven through Jesus and John’s ministry is the preparation of that. He will give knowledge to the Lord’s people in the forgiveness of their sins.

78 through the tender mercy of our God, when the day shall dawn upon us from on high

All of these great things will occur through the tender mercy of God and a day will arrive from on high, another way of saying the Day of the Lord, the inauguration of the New Covenant.

79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Zechariah says that this mercy and salvation will be a light to those who sit in darkness and those in the shadow of death. Those who sit in darkness would be the Gentiles, Galilee was described this way. They did not have the light of God’s revelation in a covenantal form though they were God fearers.

In Job 10:21-22 Sheol is described a shadowy place:

“Before I go to the place of no return, to the land of gloom and deep shadow, to the land of utter darkness, of deep shadow and disorder, where even the light is like darkness.”

Zechariah might be using a Hebraism where he is not talking about two separate things but is actually just reaffirming the first thing. So he could be talking just about the light being brought to the Gentiles who live in darkness.

Isaiah will say “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.” in reference to the Gentiles but he will also say: “I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.” Which seems to be referencing those who are dead in Sheol. I think it’s likely that, as it is also Church teaching, that Zechariah is referring to both the living who are in Darkness without revelation and also those who are dead in Sheol cut off from the beatific vision like our first parents and the patriarchs until Jesus opens it for them.

Chapter One of Luke is very long and contains all the early history of John and Jesus that we have. So far we have had the messages delivered to both Zechariah in the Temple and the Annunciation to Mary. We have also seen the Visitation before these passages of Mary visiting her cousin Elizabeth whilst she is pregnant with John the Baptist.

57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to be delivered, and she gave birth to a son.

The ninth month has arrived in Elizabeth’s pregnancy with John the Baptist and now has come the time for him to be born.

58 And her neighbors and kinsfolk heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.

Pregnancies today do retain some of their community aspects in the modern day but much of it has become a rather internal affair. In ancient days however a pregnancy was a time for a whole town with the closely knitted together family structure to all rejoice together. On top of this tighter family and community unit we have the extra degree of the miraculous nature that pertains to Elizabeth’s pregnancy with John. Both her and Zechariah were barren and old so this new birth is a call for all to rejoice on a greater level for two factors. One Elizabeth and Zechariah are justified as not being cursed by God by being barren, as was the typical understanding at the time and two, the age of the couple would bring to mind the miraculous nature of Abraham and Sarah’s pregnancy, a sign of God’s direct intervention in salvation history.

59 And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they would have named him Zechariah after his father,

The custom going all the way back to Genesis of circumcision as a physical sign of God’s covenant with his people is practiced diligently still in the days of the Second Temple Period, on the eighth day, John is circumcised but he has not actually been named yet. Boy’s were not named until after this had taken place and the custom was for the boy to receive either the name of his father or a name from his father line of ancestors.

60 but his mother said, “Not so; he shall be called John.”

Elizabeth interrupts the presumptions of the people by saying “Not so; he shall be called John”. This means that Zechariah has informed his wife already of what the Angel Gabriel told him as it was upon his instruction that the child be called John.

John is the anglicised version of Iohannes from Latin which is a Latinised version of the Greek Iōannēs which itself is a Greek version of the Hebrew name(Yohanan), which means “Yahweh (the LORD) has been gracious” or “Yahweh is gracious.”

61 And they said to her, “None of your kindred is called by this name.”

Appealing to the typical tradition, the family present at the circumcision respond to Elizabeth that no one else has this name, the naming of John is not a normal event, it has been divinely ordained so these traditions do not apply.

62 And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he would have him called.

Those present defer to Zechariah, who has the authority as the father, to name the child. What’s interesting here is that they “made signs” to him. Up to this point we have assumed that Zechariah is just struck mute by the Angel for his disbelief of God’s power but the word used for the condition throughout the New Testament is kōphos which can actually mean both deaf and mute. The fact they have to make signs to him means that he is also deaf as well as mute.

63 And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all marveled.

Zechariah requests for a “writing tablet” in order to confirm that the boy’s name will be John. The word used is (pinakidion), which specifically refers to a small, portable tablet. In the ancient world, including first century Palestine, it was common to use these small wood tablets, sometimes framed or hinged, that were coated with beeswax. These provided an easy way to write out things with a pointed stylus made of bone or metal.

64 And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God.

An interesting insight into some divine mechanisms are going on here. Upon showing the tablet to others, which would be the completion of the naming ceremony, thus all the things that the Angel Gabriel said came to pass, Zechariah’s tongue is loosened. Writing it out does not do it, but once the naming has been made official by displaying it to those present, I just think its neat how orderly that is. The first thing Zechariah does after receiving his speech back is bless God.

65 And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea;

The Greek word used for “fear” is φόβος (phobos). While phobos can mean a foreboding fear (e.g., terror or dread), it often also carries the sense of reverential awe or holy fear in response to divine intervention. The events, because of there miraculous nature, are talked about throughout the local area.

66 and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.

This verse emphasizes the profound impact of the events surrounding John the Baptist’s birth and their prophetic significance. en tē kardia: Literally “in their heart,” it symbolizes the seat of thought, emotion, and spiritual reflection in biblical language. This rhetorical question shows the people’s sense of expectation and wonder about John’s future role. “For the hand of the Lord was with him” Marks God’s guidance and empowerment in a person’s life or mission (e.g., Ezra 7:6, Acts 11:21).

Today’s readings follow the appearance of Gabriel the Archangel to the Virgin Mary. Those verses detail the event that we call the Annunciation where Gabriel tells Mary that she is to conceive the Messiah Jesus by the Holy Spirit. It is following this event that the following verses take place. These passages especially depict Luke’s ability to weave Old Testament scripture as the framework for the very real events of the Gospel account.

39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah,

“In those days” anchoring this sections timeline to somewhat immediately follow the previous. This would be in the same days of the Annunciation. Mary after speaking to Gabriel goes with “haste into the kill country, to a city of Judah”.

Mary’s haste to visit Elizabeth parallels the Ark of the Covenant’s journey to the house of Obed-edom in 2 Samuel 6:9-15.

40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.

Mary enters the home belong to Zechariah, the husband of Elizabeth and Elizabeth greets her cousin, Mary. The Ark of the Covenant, carrying God’s presence, was greeted with joy when it entered the house of Obed-edom. Similarly, Mary, carrying Jesus, enters Elizabeth’s house, bringing joy.

41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit

Upon hearing Mary’s greeting Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit and the baby John the Baptist within her womb leaps for joy. The Ark is greeted with joy, and the Spirit fills those who come into its presence. Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, reacts with joy when Mary, carrying Jesus, enters her house. 2 Samuel 6:9-15 – “And David danced before the Lord with all his might… and the Ark of the Lord came into the city of David with gladness.”

42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!

Elizabeth’s exclamation is not simply a verbal greeting but a prophetic declaration. Her loud cry reveals the depth of her joy and awe in the presence of the Messiah, foreshadowing the universal praise that Jesus will receive.

Elizabeth says “Blessed are you among women”. This phrase marks Mary’s high position among all women, a key verse supporting her unique role in salvation history. Elizabeth’s recognition acknowledges Mary’s unique cooperation with God’s will.

The phrase refers to Jesus and is partial scriptural source of the Hail Mary prayer or Angelic Salutation. The first part of the prayer comes from the Annunciation itself.

43 And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

Elizabeth’s response mirrors David’s awe when the Ark is brought into the city. Both recognize the holiness of the presence they are encountering.

2 Samuel 6:9 – “And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and he said, ‘How can the ark of the Lord come to me?’”

44 For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy.

“Babe in my womb leaped for joy”: John the Baptist’s leap indicates that even in utero, he recognizes the presence of Jesus. This moment reflects the joy that the coming of the Messiah brings to all of creation, even in the unborn.

This moment is often interpreted as a sign of the sanctity of human life and the joy that the presence of Christ brings into the world, even before birth. It also foreshadows the role of John the Baptist in heralding the coming of the Savior.

45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

Elizabeth’s praise of Mary focuses on her faith in God’s word. Mary’s belief in the angel’s message and her willingness to accept God’s will without reservation is central to her blessedness.

This verse highlights Mary’s faith, which is a key element of her assent to God’s will, often depicted as her “fiat” (let it be). Her faith is an example for all believers, and she is considered the model of perfect discipleship in Catholic teaching.