Day 21: Mary Hidden in Advent-John the Baptist

The Angel Gabriel Appears to Zacharias, William Blake

Day 19:  John the Baptist

     Read The Jesse Tree, pp. 69-71.  Hang ornament (angel or menorah).

     The angel Gabriel appears to Zechariah and tells him he will be the father of the herald of the coming Messiah.  Zechariah doesn't believe the angel and is struck dumb.

     Scripture reference:  Luke 1:5-25

     Comment:     Finally, after a long course of time, the promise God made to Eve to send a Redeemer is being accomplished.  John the Baptist is going to be born before Jesus; he is going to be the herald of the King, who will announce the King's coming to His people.  All of the prophets and patriarchs looked forward to this day; every young Jewish maiden prayed to be the mother of the Messiah.  Mary is the true Daughter of Zion, the one in whom all of the promises and prophecies will be finally fulfilled.

Related Title: Mary, Daughter of Zion

"Glorification of the Virgin, north transept, Chartres cathedral, France. The bottom lancets show Saint Anne holding the child Mary, flanked left to right by Melchizedek, David, Solomon and Aaron, who are standing on four bad kings: Nebuchadnezzar, Saul, Jeroboam and Pharaoh respectively. In the rose, the Virgin Mary and child Jesus are surrounded by some of Jesus's royal ancestors, as listed in Matthew 1:1-16 (from top clockwise by David, Solomon, Abijah, Jehoshaphat, Uzziah, Ahaz, Manasseh, Hezekiah, Jotham,
Jehoram, Asa, Rehoboam). In the outer circle are the minor prophets (from the top clockwise: Hosea, Amos, Jonah, Nahum, Zephaniah, Zechariah, Malachi, Haggai, Habbakuk, Micah, Obadiah, Joel)."

Akathist to the Theotokos, Daughter of Zion

 The Lord of Hosts came to dwell in your midst, O holy Virgin, just as He promised through the holy prophet Zechariah. Seeing this, you sang for joy and were glad, knowing many nations would join themselves to the Lord and become His People, and from all of us you hear this song:
Rejoice, for the Lord chose you for His own dwelling!
Rejoice, for the Almighty set up His royal dwelling in your flesh!
Rejoice, for he who touches you touches the apple of God’s eye!
Rejoice, for you abide under the Almighty’s protection!
Rejoice, O royal pavilion of the King!
Rejoice, O mystical courts of the Lord!
Rejoice, for through you Judah enters his inheritance!
Rejoice, for through you Israel receives the blessing of God!
Rejoice, for all flesh is silent before your fame!
Rejoice, for the Lord is roused up and has come to dwell in you!
Rejoice, for God is a wall of fire around you!
Rejoice, for He is the glory in your midst!
Rejoice O Theotokos, Virgin Daughter of Zion!

Read about Benedict XVI and Mary at this site.
Also, Pope Benedict wrote a book entitled Daughter Zion before his pontificate (under the name Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger)  which "explores the Biblical witness to the Church's Marian dogmas."