Saint/s of the Day – 5 November – St Zachary (1st Century) Priest and Prophet, Father of St John the Baptist and Spouse of St Elizabeth, mother of the same blessed Precursor of Jesus Christ. Patronages – of childless couples, of patience, of Malta and the Hospitallers of Jerusalem. Zachary is also known as Zachariah.
The Roman Martyrology begins today’s list with: “St Zachary, Priest and Prophet, father of the blessed John the Baptist. Also, St Elizabeth, mother of the same most holy Precursor.”
Zachary was a Priest at the Temple in Jerusalem whilst his wife, Elizabeth was a cousin of the Virgin Mary. According to the Gospel of St Luke Chapter 1, Elizabeth was “of the daughters of Aaron.” She and her husband Zachary were “righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord” (1:5–7), but they were sadened by their childlessness.
While Zachary was in the temple of the Lord (1:8–12), Zachary was visited by the Archangel Gabriel: “Do not be afraid, Zechary; your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink and he will be filled with the Holy Ghost even before he is born.” Luke 1:13–15.
Zachary doubted since both he and his wife were old. The Angel identified himself as Gabriel and told Zachary that he would be “dumb and not able to speak” until the words were fulfilled because he did not believe. When the days of his ministry were complete, he returned to his house (Luke 1:16–23). After this, his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for six months remained in seclusion. “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown His favour and taken away my disgrace among the people.” — Luke 1:24–25.
The coming to pass of these things and their circumstances; the visit of our Lady to her kinswoman Elizabeth, when she too was filled with the Holy Ghost and greeted Mary as blessed among women; Mary’s hymn of praise, ‘My soul doth magnify the Lord;’ after St John’s birth the return of speech, of whichZacharye had been deprived, so that he spoke in prophecy, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, Who hath visited and redeemed His people” – these things are all set out in the first Chapter of St Luke’s Gospel.
After these events, nothing more is heard of Zachary and his wife. But, it is common opinion among the fathers, e.g.Saints Basil, Cyril of Alexandria and others, that St Zachary died a Martyr and according to an apocryphal writing, he was killed in the Temple, “between the porch and the altar” by command of Herod because he refused to disclose the whereabouts of his son. But the Roman Martyrology makes no mention of Martyrdom when it name Zachary and Elizabeth on 5 November, this day on which their Feast is kept.
AnaStpaul 