Luke 1: 39-45
The Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/122224.cfm
Reflecting on our well-known Gospel passage this 4th Sunday of Advent about the visitation of Mary to her older cousin Elizabeth, although I’ve been over it many times, I was struck by the thought of its’ beauty.
In the scene, May shares her joy with Elizabeth that she is with child, albeit in a very mysterious way, and Elizabeth likewise shares her gratitude and joy as now in her much older years, to be with child for the first time, and the joy of God’s salvation through her Son and the instrument of Mary which God used. It's no wonder that the Church names this mystery as the "2nd Joyful Mystery" of the Rosary. I think we should never treat this in some sort of matter of fact manner. This wonder of God is beyond human thought or design; something only the divine power of God can initiate from the prophets of ancient time and from the miraculous wonder of divine power.
Mary was told by the angel that "nothing is impossible for God!" And surely it isn't. We have a God with no limits. At his will all comes into being as it did in Mary as she submitted to his mysterious plan.
It’s all
very mysterious indeed but at the same time directly linked to Mary’s role in
the story of salvation. Mary is not the
Savior but she bore the human child within her so that through the incarnation,
God inserted himself into the world in the person of Jesus the Christ, the
Messiah. Without Mary’s cooperation to the Angel Gabriel’s message. Without
Mary’s “yes” the Christ would not have entered the material world.
There is no doubt this simple young girl from Nazareth
continues to have a significant influence in the lives of many. Her power is
not one of politics or the military or some new scientific breakthrough. Her power is one of obedience, humility, and
faith. A deep conversion to the will of God and a desire to make all who would
believe alive in Christ Jesus!
On this last Sunday of our Advent journey, the beautiful Gospel passage from Luke, one of my favorite's, frankly, takes us to the scene of the visit between Mary and her cousin Elizabeth.
Mary is eager to share what God has done. She wants so share this with Elizabeth, her older cousin. It is not just good news it is extraordinary news and we are called to submit ourselves as Mary so freely did, It is an encounter of great joy. Mary, after being visited by the Angel
Gabriel with his mysterious request, travels south to see her older cousin
Elizabeth after hearing that although she is beyond child bearing years and had
never borne a child, through the grace of God Elizabeth has conceived a child
for the first time. Through natural means yet miraculous for its timing and
connection to Mary’s child.
When they greet each other, the scene is filled with praise and joy to recognize what God has done for them. Elizabeth rejoices as she addresses Mary:, her virginal cousin from the north of Israel, It does indeed make her the most privileged woman among all others. "Blessed are you among women” then refers to her young cousin as the “mother of my Lord.” It certainly does shine a bright light on this simple young And, as Elizabeth addressed her, the mother of God (Lord).
But, this moment is more than just a meeting of two
unique ancient women who would have never been known if it were told of their
choice by God. As we draw close to
Christmas it reminds us of the mystery of God’s work in sending his Son among
us. The glorious incarnation: God taking on a human nature and by so doing
joined all of us as one with him. Jesus the new ADAM and Mary the new EVE.
It reminds us that as Mary went to Elizabeth to
announce with great joy the good news of God’s promise to a broken world so
too, at this point in Advent, she comes to us for the same.
In light of that good news, we may have a tendency to
try to parse out details and meaning for this event. What was Mary thinking? How old was she? Was Was she a young teenager? And young maiden about
to wed her fiancé Joseph in her early 20’s.
How old was Joseph? Etc, etc.
Such things don’t really matter so much.
However, in prayer the other day, it came to me that we need to rest before this event. To contemplate its mystery. As one might stand before the Grand Canyon in silence or listen to a beautiful piece of music and just let its beautiful sound wash over you, or to stand before the Grand Canyon in awe and wonder without words, or out here before the mighty Pacific Ocean on a sunny day contemplating its mighty roar of water and viewings it’s powerful waves that move in perfect synchronization.
Such things cannot be put into words but at the same time their beauty
and mystery srike us with awe and wonder.
God’s work cannot be equaled and in the case of Mary and Elizabeth, I
think any words fall short. We need to
absorb God’s mystery and simply give thanks.
I think that before the mystery of the incarnation, God taking on human
nature in Jesus Christ, we have no adequate words, we just stand before it and
offer God our thanksgiving and submission to his will as we follow his way of good news, as Mary so clearly did. She has said “yes” to the Angel Gabriel’s
message and now as the first Christian Evangelizer, she announces that the Lord
has finally come in the flesh and salvation is ours.
After hundreds of years of silence with no voice of a
prophet being heard, John, the son of Elizabeth, leaps for joy in his mother’s
womb at the sound of Mary’s voice who bears Jesus for whom John would point the
way as the last prophet of the Old Testament to do so. Now a new age begins.
At the risk of maybe simplifying, we can stop here and now take some time to wonder.
Read the Gospel passage someplace in silence: Luke 1: 39-45.
Like Mary,
we treasure these words in our hearts, or reflect on the words of Elizabeth and
Mary: “The mother of my Lord,” “who am I?, “My soul proclaims
the greatness of the Lord . . .,” “Blessed are you who believed . . . ”
I think if we pray to the Holy Spirit over these
words, we may well find a stronger and renewed faith rooted in in awe and
wonder before God as Mary did.
PEACE AND ALL GOOD THINGS.
-------------------
Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord,
your grace into our hearts,
that we to whom the message of an Angel,
may by his Passion and Cross
be brought to the glory of the Resurrection.
Who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever
(Collect of Mass)
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