Father’s Day is an occasion to reflect on the vocation of fatherhood. Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, is most remembered for not believing the angel Gabriel’s announcement and being struck speechless as a punishment, but he has many admirable qualities for fathers.
Zechariah was married to Elizabeth, and both of them were advanced in years and still together. Zechariah loved his wife and he was completely faithful to their marriage covenant. Fatherhood is not a married man’s first vocation, but rather being devoted to one’s wife and being an excellent husband. Good husbands make good fathers.
Zechariah was righteous. A righteous Jew is law abiding. This does not refer to his observance of civil law and his status as a citizen of his country, but rather his observance of the Mosaic Law and his spiritual standing before God. Zechariah carefully and conscientiously obeyed the Ten Commandments as well as all of the other 603 precepts of the Law. A good father observes God’s laws and has high moral standards, and then teaches these laws to his children, first and foremost with his example, and also with his instruction, house rules, and implementation.
Not only was Zechariah righteous, he was righteous in the eyes of God. God sees everything, not only public and external things, but also private and internal things. Zechariah obeyed God’s laws whether people were watching or not. His observance was not for show. He was good inside and out. He was authentic, a man of integrity, truthful and honest. Fathers like Zechariah help their children understand that God’s laws apply at all times under all circumstances, and that the top priority should be to please God in every instance, not to win the approval of others.
Zechariah was old and had no children. This was a tremendous disappointment to him, but he did not turn sour, negative, rebellious, or cynical. Zechariah was stable and he handled his troubles with grace and composure. All fathers are faced with various setbacks, and fathers like Zechariah are able to remain calm and levelheaded, and able to carry on with purpose.
Zechariah went to the Temple where he prayed, and he took regular turns doing so. He had a personal relationship with God which he nurtured with frequent prayer which was an intimate conversation which kept them closely bonded together. Fathers who go to church and pray on a regular basis are guided by God in how to raise their children, and they receive God’s help.
When Zechariah’s son was born, he insisted that his name would be John. This choice violated the custom of naming a child after his father or another relative. Zechariah was not swayed by pressure or the expectations of his neighbors and relatives. The angel had conveyed God’s wish, and Zechariah was adamant and unyielding when it came to obeying God. There are many opinions and social expectations for how to raise children. Fathers like Zechariah take their cues from God and are not unduly influenced by other people, old customs, or modern trends.
Finally, Zechariah offered a canticle of praise (Lk 1:68-79). Zechariah was able to see and count his many blessings, and with faith and gratitude, he honored and glorified God with words of thanks. Fathers like Zechariah are alert enough to take stock of the good things that God has given them, have an appreciative attitude, and frequently lift God’s name in praise.
