Finding Hope Amidst Adversity
Zephaniah 3:14-18a - Thursday, December 21, 2023
The liturgy of the Word for today offers us a choice of two readings: either from the Song of Songs or from the book of Zephaniah. My reflection will focus on Zephaniah, where the prophet conveys God's message to Israel during King Josiah's reign in the 7th century BC. While historical books of the Bible - the books of Kings and Chronicles - praise Josiah as a faithful king akin to David, Zephaniah portrays Judah as deeply sinful, facing impending divine punishment.
Our excerpt today concludes this short but intense book. Amid prophecies of judgment on Judah, Jerusalem, and other nations, a ray of hope emerges: "shout for joy, Daughter of Zion" (Zeph. 3:14). This promise to restore Jerusalem and Judah aimed to sustain Israel's hope. Just as the prophecy of judgment came true, so will the prophecy of restoration. The people need only to wait patiently for it to happen.
In Christian interpretation, these verses (Zephaniah 3:14-18a) foresee the Lord's arrival. We read it on the feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin to inidcate that the words of Zephaniah, "the Lord your God is in your midst" were fulfilled when Mary said to angel Gabriel, "Let it be to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38) and brought Jesus - conceived in her womb - to the house of Elizabeth. The words of Elizabeth, "Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled" (Luke 1:45), reveal the greatness of Mary's faith. In her, we can see the patient longing of all those who awaited the fulfilement of Zephania's prophecy to fruition. Finally, the Lord our God is in our midst.
Zephaniah, like other prophets, begins with doom but ends with hope. The message of doom aims to lead us to repentance, while the message of hope uplifts us in dire moments. Yet, here lies a problem. First, most did not take seriously the messages of doom and did not repent. That led to national and personal tragedies. Second, many among those who witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem could not accept it. In their view, the punishment was too severe. And so, with great probability, there were also those who lost their faith. Here comes a question then: Could the message of hope revive their crushed spirit?
By bringing Jesus into the world, Mary - the daughter of Zion - brings hope that not all is lost. His arrival signifies God's love for us. "The Lord annulled the judgment against" us (Zeph. 3:15). He comes to restore, remove shame, unite us, and break all the wall of divisions that separates us from each other. He comes to gather us from all the corners of the earth to His Church making us one people in Jesus Christ. So, let our spirits not falter (Zeph. 3:16). Our Lord is here to revive and renew us.