A holy fear came on all in the neighborhood, and throughout the hill country of Judea the people talked about these events. All who heard of it, pondered in their minds, and wondered, “What will this child be?” For they understood that the hand of the Lord was with him.

REFLECTION:
In his play Romeo and Juliet (II, 1-2), Shakespeare makes Juliet ask:
“What’s in a name?
That which we call a rose
By any other name
would smell as sweet.”
     This view of things is thoroughly Western, for in the Bible a name is considered very important. It is not a mere identity tag. It has a mysterious affinity with its bearer, it can even predict the kind of person he or she will be. It often expresses religious belief or a prayer of petition.
   Today’s gospel reading revolves around what name should be given to Zechariah’s child. Zechariah in Hebrew means “Yahweh remembers.” But in the Bible this name is ambiguous. In some contexts it refers to a remembrance by God of a person’s sins and with a view to punishing that person. On the other hand, the name John (Yehohanan in Hebrew) means “Yahweh is gracious,” a name much more fitting in the circumstances than the name Zechariah. Besides, the orders of the angel Gabriel were clear: “You shall name him John” (Lk 1:13)
What’s in a name? A lot. Do you know why you were given your name? Any connection with God, by chance?