Fourth Sunday of Advent (C)

 

Fourth Sunday of Advent (C) [Lk 1:39-45]

22.12.2024

Mary’s Visit to Elizabeth

Readings: (1) Mic 5:2-5 (2) Heb 10:5-10

1.    Theme in brief

Trust in God’s Word and eagerness to serve

2.    Focus Statement

In order to prepare for Christmas, we need to imitate the unshakable faith of Mary in the fulfillment of God’s Word and her eagerness to serve the needy neighbour promptly and joyfully.

3.    Explanation of the text

Today’s gospel text tells us how the angel of the Lord named Gabriel declared unto a virgin of Nazareth named Mary that she would conceive and bear a child who would be called “the Son of the Most High” (Lk 1:31-32). He also announced that her relative Elizabeth, though said to be barren, was in the sixth month of her pregnancy (Lk 1:36). The given text tells us about Mary’s quick response to this good news. She recognized the needs or difficulties of her relative Elizabeth in the last stage of her pregnancy and set out to serve her by journeying to a hill country “in haste” (1:39). This haste symbolizes her vibrant faith that results in her eagerness and readiness to serve her needy relative willingly. Her sensitivity to the needs of her relative prompted her to undertake the trouble of a long journey in the “hill country” hastily and immediately to visit, greet and meet the needs of Elizabeth. Thus she becomes a model of voluntary and joyful service (charity) rendered to a needy neighbour without being asked or ordered.

When Mary reached the house of Zechariah she greeted his spouse Elizabeth. Probably Luke wanted to contrast Zachariah’s unbelief and doubt whether God’s Word would find fulfilment when he was told about the conception of his wife in her old age (Lk 1:18), with the belief and trust of Mary (1:38). Presenting Mary as a model of faith in contrast to the doubting Zachariah, Luke wanted to tell us that she trusted in the Lord and in his promises rather than doubting. When Elizabeth met Mary, she was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and declared in a loud voice the blessedness of Mary among all women (1:42). According to her acclamation, Mary’s blessedness derived from two factors: (1) because of the blessedness of the “fruit of her womb” (who is Jesus, 1:42), or because of her unique privilege and call to be “the mother of my Lord” (1:43); and (2) because of her faith and trust in the fulfillment of God’s Word or his promises (1:45). 

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth pronounced a blessing upon Mary and upon the fruit or baby in her womb. This word “blessed” is the same word that is used for Beatitudes in Luke’s gospel (Lk 6:20-22) – a word which implies a blessing based on a right relationship with God. Mary is blessed not above all other women but blessed among them because of God’s election or choice of her to be the Mother of our Lord. Secondly, Mary’s blessedness emerged through her faith (1:45), because she believed that God was always faithful to his promises and would not fail her at this juncture.

Elizabeth’s words, “Why has this happened to me that the Mother of my Lord comes to me” (1:43) echo King David’s words when the ark of the covenant was brought back to Jerusalem after it was captured by their enemies: “How can the ark of the Lord come into my care” (2 Sam 6:9). Probably she wanted to say that her home is sanctified by presence of the Lord in Mary’s womb. This also indicates her joy at the presence of the Lord. [This could be the reason why Mary is called ‘Ark of the Covenant’ in Catholic devotion to Mother Mary.] We come to know how joy is the outpouring of her faith. Actually Luke wanted to convey to us the message of joy of both the women and the unborn baby (John the Baptizer) in his mother’s womb: Elizabeth rejoiced at Mary’s greeting; the child in her womb leapt for joy at the sound of her greeting (1:44) and Mary rejoiced in God her Saviour for his favour granted to a lowly servant like her (Lk 1:47-48). The child in Elizabeth's womb (John the Baptist) leapt for joy, because God’s salvation was going to become a reality on account of Mary’s faith in God's promises.

4.    Application to life 

How can we make ourselves worthy to receive Christ at Christmas? On the last Sunday of Advent, the Church places before us Mother Mary’s shining virtue of faith and trust in God’s Word as well as her service-mindedness for our imitation. Mary gives us an example of going out of ourselves in joyful service to welcome Christ who came not to be served but to serve (Mk 10:45). As we saw in the explanation above, Mary is called “blessed” twice: first because she bears the Divine Child in her womb, and secondly because of her faith in the fulfillment of God’s Word. Like Mary, we have to become “God-bearers” or “Christ-bearers” in our world and give to the world his values. Thus we too can spiritually give ‘birth’ to Christ or his values in the hearts of people around us. Like Mary, we too are blessed from the moment of our baptism, and are called to bear Christ in our lives by trusting in God’s promises.

Service-mindedness is the hallmark of a Christian disciple. Mary exemplifies Christian discipleship by rendering a valuable service to Elizabeth against all odds. We can very well imagine the odds that were against her when she went in haste to visit Elizabeth after knowing that she was going to become a Virgin Mother. There must have been feelings of fear, ridicule, shame, worry, anxiety and uncertainty in her heart. She naturally expected misunderstanding from the part of Joseph, her parents, neighbours and religious leaders. She was facing the possibility of punishment by stoning unto death for being pregnant out of wedlock. In spite of all these, she went out with haste (indicating her sensitivity to Elizabeth’s need and eagerness) to serve her in her final stage of pregnancy. In Advent Season, we are invited to imitate the prompt and joyful service rendered by Mary to her relative Elizabeth when she was in need of her help. Mary shows us how to accept the salvation brought by her Son by her eagerness to serve the needy. There is a difference between the services which we have to render out of compulsion, like our daily work and household chores, and those which we willingly and voluntarily take up for the good of those who are in need of our love. In order to welcome Christ at Christmas, can we think about and execute at least one single act of proactive and voluntary service to a needy neighbour or to our community.

In another place of Luke’s gospel Jesus calls all people ‘blessed’ who hear the Word of God and obey it (Lk 11:28). Mary is the model of this ‘blessedness’ proclaimed by Jesus because she not only heard the Word of God but also kept it or obeyed it in faith. In faith she put herself into God’s hands who alone would guide her destiny. Mary herself didn’t understand how God’s promises would be fulfilled, but she trusted in his Word. Only time revealed the full implications of her unconditional trust in God’s promises. Later, her faith and obedience would be severely tested when the happenings would go quite contrary to her expectations and plans.

 

These are some of tests of faith Mary underwent in her life-journey: the problem of undertaking a long journey to Bethlehem during the last stage of her pregnancy because of an Emperor’s (Augustus Caesar’s) order to go to one’s own town for census-registration; facing the insecurity of finding a place in Bethlehem for her delivery; experiencing rejection by her own people at the difficult time of her delivery; giving birth to “the Son of the Most High” in utter poverty and deprivation; obeying the command of the angel of the Lord to flee to Egypt like a refugee and in total insecurity to save her child from Herod’s killers (Mt 2:13-14); leading a life of loneliness and helplessness caused by the death of her husband (Joseph) and Jesus’ leaving home at a young age to be in his “father’s house” (Lk 2:49); facing criticism and opposition to her son by the religious leaders because of his unorthodox views and unaccepted behaviour; and bearing agonizing pain of crucifixion of her innocent son like a criminal.

Who of us has never faced in life at least one of these predicaments: insecurity, loneliness, rejection, criticism, opposition, humiliation and death of a near and dear one? As Christmas approaches, Mary accompanies us in our faith-journey with her guidance and intercession with God on our behalf. Though these evil forces battered against her faith in God, she remained faithful to her original ‘yes’ to him (Lk 1:38). Though she did not understand God’s ways fully, she believed and trusted that God’s Word would be fulfilled in ways known to him alone. By submitting herself to his holy will, she allowed herself to be led by God. Like her we need to find out God’s plans for us by reflecting on his Word and entrusting ourselves to his care, hoping for the fulfillment of his promises even in hopeless situations. Like Mary all those who believe in the fulfillment of God’s promises are blessed, because they are convinced that neither God nor his Word will fail them. Faithfulness of God himself to his promises is the basis for this faith. Thus we too become blessed like Mary when we trust that the promises made to us would be fulfilled.

What is faithfulness or fidelity? In the Bible fidelity means holding fast to a person or a party to which one is bound. Faithfulness to God means making conscious choices for God and standing up for his cause, come what may. From the Bible, we come to know that God is always faithful to his promises. The question is whether we are faithful to him, to the promises made to him. Jesus is our supreme model for faithfulness to God. He was faithful to his Father’s will unto the last drop of his blood. He said, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work” (Jn 4:34). When he died on the cross he said, “It is accomplished” (Jn 19:36), implying that he had completed the mission entrusted to him by his Father faithfully to the point of laying down his life. Lack of faithfulness to our call is lack of faithfulness to God himself. If there is a crisis either in married life, priesthood or religious life, it is mainly a crisis of unfaithfulness to God, or unfaithfulness to the mission entrusted to us by God. If we notice a lack of commitment to one’s call and mission in marriage or in religious life, the reason is infidelity to God or our failure to make conscious choices in favour of God and his call, his mission. Christmas is the time to renew our fidelity to God and to our partners (if we are married) or to the Church (if we are in consecrated life or priesthood).

Mary faithfully embraces her role in God's plan of salvation. Earlier Mary was told that nothing was impossible for God (Lk 1:37). If Elizabeth in her advanced age, and Mary as a virgin could miraculously conceive a child with the power of the Holy Spirit, what else is not possible for God? He would miraculously protect her and her child, because he is true to his promises. In order to prepare for Christmas, we have to imitate the unshakable faith of Mary in the fulfillment of God’s Word. Her faith became the cause of blessing to all generations through her Son. We have to ask whether our faith and trust in God brings us blessings. In what way are we going to bring blessings to others in the Christmas season?

5.    Response to God's Word

Are we preparing ourselves to welcome Jesus at Christmas with Mary’s faith and trust in God’s promises? Do we try to find out God’s plans for us by reflecting on God’s Word and entrusting ourselves to God’s care for their fulfillment? Like her, do we co-operate freely with God’s plans for us? Does our faith remain as strong as hers when things go against our expectations? Like Mary, when our faith is tested now and then, how do we respond: with doubts in God’s faithfulness, or with total surrender before his mystery? How can we experience inner joy at coming Christmas? Is our service always done out of compulsion or sometimes voluntarily out of love for others?

6.    A prayer

O God, the Lord of our destiny, like Mother Mary, we offer our entire lives to you and give up all our false securities with an unconditional ‘yes’ to do you will. Trusting in your faithfulness alone, we are willing to venture into an unknown future. Grant that we may remain strong in faith like Mother Mary when it is severely tested. Give us the grace to accept the salvation brought by her Son Jesus by showing an eagerness to serve the needy and putting our trust in God’s Word. Like her, send on us also the power of the Holy Spirit that we may be able to spiritually give birth to Jesus in our world today by our faith-commitment and joyful service.  Amen.