The Fourth Sunday of Advent
Through Jesus' death and resurrection, he opened a path to our reconciliation with God. When we give our lives to God, we can be at peace.
Gospel according to Luke 1:39-45
Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”
Reflections
In today’s Gospel reading we hear about prayers answered, miracles witnessed, and exuberant joy at the fulfillment of God’s plan. Wonderful praise draws us into the realm of the mystery of God and His peace.
Since time immemorial, the Jewish people have been ardently praying for the coming of the Messiah. The prophets foretold the coming of the Messiah as a great leader, who will guide people on the paths of peace and “...redeem Israel at the End of Days.” However, they also prophesied that the Messiah will be the “suffering servant” (Isaiah 52:13-53:12).
In accordance with the Scriptures, at an appointed time in history, “...In the sixth month…” (Luke 1:26) of the Jewish calendar, in the month of Adar, which corresponds to February or March of the Gregorian calendar, the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she will become the mother of the Savior by the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:26). The angel also told her about the miracle of her cousin Elisabeth’s pregnancy (Luke 1:26-38).
Three months later, Mary “...went with haste” (Luke 1:39) to a town in the hill country of Judea, presumably to Ein-Karim, located in the south-western outskirts of Jerusalem. The journey was arduous and would have taken her about a week to complete. Most likely, Mary travelled the 150 kilometers walking, sometimes on the back of a donkey with a caravan to be safe from wild animals and robbers. She had just reached the second trimester of her pregnancy, while Elisabeth, her cousin, was only three months away from giving birth (Luke Luke 1:25).
Elisabeth’s pregnancy was a miracle because both she and her husband were advanced in age and they had no children. As Luke’s Gospel tells us: “..Elisabeth was barren and both were advanced in age” (Luke 1:7). The angel told Mary that her cousin, who “...was called barren” (Luke 1:36), was now in the sixth month of her pregnancy. For her the first trimester of her pregnancy was over, while for Elisabeth only the last trimester was left. For five months, Elisabeth had been in seclusion, (Luke 1:24), praising the Lord for what he had done and saying: “This is what the Lord has done for me when he looked favorably on me and took away the disgrace that I have endured among my people” (Luke 1:24). Zechariah, her husband was mute, unable to speak “...until these things would take place” (Luke 1:20). He had been praying in the sanctuary, when an angel appeared to him, announcing that his wife will become pregnant and give bith to a son, John the Baptist, who will prepare the way of the Lord: “With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:17).
Mary’s pregnancy was even more extraordinary than that of Elisabeth. Concerning Jesus, the angel said that “...he will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor, David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:32-33). Initially, Mary was puzzled, but the angel reassured her: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). The angel also appeared to Joseph, of the house of David, Mary’s fiance, to reassure him, that “...all this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call him Emmanuael; which mans, ‘God is with us.’” (Matthew 1:22-23). Following the angel’s instructions, Joseph took Mary as his wife, but “..had no marital relationship with her until she had borne a son, and she named him Jesus” (Matthew 1:25).
Thus, when the two women, chosen for a mission that will change the course of the history of the world, and blessed by God with a child, encountered each other, their joy was overflowing. Elisabeth recognised that Mary was pure of heart, sinless, and “...set aside by God for a special purpose.” “...Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb…” exclaims Elisabeth (Luke 1:42), “..blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord” (Luke 1:45). The same words we find in the “Hail Mary,” which we begin by repeating the greeting of the angel Gabriel, “...Full of Grace” (Luke 1:28), and continue with the praise of Elisabeth: “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.” (Luke 1:42; 4)
The Canticle of Mary, also known as the Magnificat, or Mary’s Song of Praise, resonates with gratitude and humble joy: “...My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (Luke 1:46-47). As it continues, it explains the moral, social, and economic significance of the powerful deeds of God. Morally, Mary points to faith instead of pride that brings us closer to God: “...For the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name…he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts…” (Luke 1:51). Socially, Mary points to the fear of the Lord, instead of strength or beauty that please the Lord: “He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly…” (Luke 1:52). Economically, Mary points to the providence rather than calculation that invoked the mercy of God: “...he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty” (Luke 1:53). In conclusion, representing the fervor of God’s chosen people, and through them, all humanity, Mary upholds faith in God that saves: “He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants for ever” (Luke 1:54-55).
Mary and Elisabeth’s encounter is a meeting of believers who said “Yes” to God’s plan. The joy of their mission coming to fulfillment propels them in spirit toward each other as they praise God and rejoice. Their words echo the Psalm of David, “Here I am Lord, I come to do your will” (Psalm 40:7); “I waited patiently for the Lord, and he inclined to me and heard my cry” (Psalm 40:1) “...And he put a new song into my mouth, a song of praise to our God.” (Psalm 40:3)
May the sound of praise resound in our heart at the fulfillment of God’s wondrous deeds as we await the Prince of Peace on this fourth Sunday of Advent (Isaiah 9:6). Jesus is the Prince of Peace because through his death and resurrection, he opened a path to our reconciliation with God. When we give our lives to God, we can be at peace. As Jesus reassuringly said: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the word gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27) With Jesus’ peace we can have peace with God and with each other. –His message to us today is: Shalom. Peace. –“Blessed are the Peacemakers!” (Matthew 5:9)