Vol.5 No.15 DoM Gospel Reflection
4th Sunday of Advent—December 20, 2015
Luke 1: 39-45
By Susan Duffey
Five sentences. That is all Luke gives us in today’ s Gospel- and yet if we read between the lines, we learn just about all we need to know as a Daughter of Mary.
When I first looked at this passage for The Fourth Sunday in Advent,the line that jumped off the page at me was “In those days, Mary went with haste into the hill country…….”
I bet none of you slept late this weekend, or even spent substantial time curled up on the sofa reading a good book or listening to beautiful music. No, this is the time of year every one is in a hurry. But Mary in a hurry? That’s an image I had never considered. When I think of Mary, I think, “Hail Mary, Gentle Woman” and “All is Calm” Mary…….but after reflecting on this Gospel—I have a new perspective.
Let’s take a look at the context.
Mary has just been visited by an Angel, who tells her, a Virgin, that she will become pregnant, not by her betrothed, Joseph, but a Holy Spirit. While there, the angel also tells her that her cousin, Elizabeth, long past child bearing age, has also conceived. I realize that Mary was conceived without sin and had perfect faith, but surely there had to be a little “What exactly is going on here?” going through her mind. In those days, a young, unmarried Jewish girl was not likely to run and shout the good news of her pregnancy to anyone. She risked being ostracized or more likely, stoned to death. She also was not likely to take on an arduous journey to the hill country. From Nazareth to Bethlehem was a journey of about 88 miles – and the fastest, most comfortable means of transportation was her own two feet or a donkey.
But she did! “She went with haste into the hill country”
Biblical scholars estimate that Mary departed on her journey 2-3 days after her visit from the Angel Gabriel. Some scholars say she went to share with her cousin, her good news….. but most say she went to serve – to help her cousin Elizabeth.
The journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem is the first of many difficult journeys Mary would take. She will return to Bethlehem at the end of her pregnancy for the birth of Christ. She will be forced to flee to Egypt to escape death. Her longest, and most painful journey will be the road to Calvary for the crucifixion of her son. We join Mary today on this first of many journeys as she climbs Ein Kerem to serve her cousin, Elizabeth, to be with her for the birth of John the Baptist.
And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy.
What happens here ? This is the very first Gospel — the first human utterance of The Good News. The Holy Spirit has made Christ incarnate in Mary and now she literally brings Jesus, the Good News to another. Elizabeth is the first to hear this good news – And while we don’t read it in this weeks Gospel, what follows is one of the greatest prayers of all times – and the heart of our mission as daughters of Mary -the Magnificat: My Soul Proclaims the Greatness of the Lord- and my spirit rejoices in God my savior. This prayer is offered every evening by millions around the world in The Liturgy of the Hours. This is no quiet, bowed head prayer, It is a prayer of great joy! This whole Gospel is indeed joyful – Elizabeth, and Mary through their deep faith and unequivocal Yes to God’s call recognize the future Savior and his Precursor.
For these two devout Jewish women – the promises of the prophets were coming to fulfillment.
In Sunday’s first reading the prophet Micah foretells that “You Bethlehem-Ephratha, too small to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me/ one who is to be ruler in Israel… He will stand firm and shepherd his flock, his greatness shall reach the ends of the earth – He shall be peace. “ Micah shares his prophecy 250 or so years after the promise foretold by Nathan to King David in 2nd Samuel,which promised that from the offspring of David will come an anointed king who will rule forever. As devout Jews, Elizabeth and Mary lived in expectation of the this anointed king.
With her “YES,” Mary has become the new Ark of the Covenant.
In the old testament, As the ark is brought to Jerusalem, King David is overcome with awe saying, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” In today’s Gospel, Elizabeth says to Mary, “Who am I that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?”
The ark remains three months in the hill country near Jerusalem, bringing great blessings to the house of Obed-edom. Mary remains 3 months with Elizabeth.
King David leaps for joy — dancing before the ark. Elizabeth tells how John the Baptist leaped in her womb as she became filled with the Holy Spirit.
In those days, Outside the door of every Jewish home in there was a mezuzah , a small wooden compartment, containing a scroll imprinted with the Shema, the central prayer of the Jewish faith, prayed every morning and every evening.
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words which I command you today shall be upon your heart. You shall teach them thoroughly to your children, and you shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road, when you lie down and when you rise.These are the words that Mary and Elizabeth lived by. This is the faith that prompted these two women to give their unequivocal “Yes” to God’s call.
Yes – given with out question, without hesitation, with haste. Not” let me think about it and get back to you”, not “when my children are older” Not, I am too old or too young or too busy. Just Yes! As instructed in Sunday’s Second reading from the Letter to the Hebrews they have come to do His Will!
So What do we learn Luke’s five sentences?
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta teaches, “In the mystery of the Annunciation and the Visitation, Mary is the very model of the life we should lead. First of all, she welcomed Jesus in her existence; then, she shared what she had received. Every time we receive Holy Communion, Jesus the Word becomes flesh in our life – gift of God who is at one and the same time beautiful, kind, unique. Thus, the first Eucharist was such: Mary’s offering of her Son in her, in whom he had set up the first altar. Mary, the only one who could affirm with absolute confidence, “this is my body”, from that first moment offered her own body, her strength, all her being, to form the Body of Christ.
We learn that God calls us to love him with our whole heart- and that we must spread this love at home and on every step of every journey.
We learn through Mary and Elizabeth of the blessing of spiritual friendship. Imagine those three months when the coming of the Messiah was their secret to share.
“Between the lines in these five sentences we learn “He was the reason for all of it: for Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David, a parting sea, The Ark of the Covenant, the falling walls of Jericho. He was the reason that a Moabite is remembered, that the Israelites were rescued from slavery, that a nation returned from exile. He was the reason the Temple was built, than an angel appeared, that a prophet called down fire and called the people to turn to God and now in the hidden place, of his Mother’s womb, he grew.” 1
We learn that we can let nothing stand in the way of bringing Christ to each other — to Daughters of Mary, and to the world. No arduous journey, no ailment, not advanced years or poverty – Nothing can stand in the way of proclaiming the Gospel story.
These five sentences were given to us to be shared. We must journey and take Christ to others. By proclaiming his Gospel, we too give birth to Christ. Somewhere, Elizabeth waits for the Gospel, for the love of Christ – an Elizabeth that only you can touch. In our darkened world, there are so many Elizabeths!
Mary tells us to go in haste- do not hesitate. We may feel alone, inadequate – frightened, unworthy but we turn to Mary and Elizabeth and know that God will give us the gifts needed to bring Christ to others. Nothing is impossible for God. We must offer up our inadequacies, our sorrows and our suffering -but we must also offer up our joy — In embracing joy with delighted gratitude we send energy and Christ’s light out into the world.” 2 In I Thessalonians, Paul tells us “ Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you — Do not quench the Spirit”
Mary’s visit to Elizabeth exemplifies this Joy.
With Pope Francis we pray……
“Mary, Virgin and Mother, you who moved by the holy spirit welcomed the word of life in the depths of your humble faith: as you gave yourself completely to the Eternal One, help us to say our own “yes” to the urgent call, as pressing as ever , to proclaim the good news of Jesus. Filled with Christ’s presence, you brought joy to John the Baptist, making him exult in the womb of his mother…Mother of the living Gospel, wellspring of happiness for God’s little ones, pray for us.”
1 Bossert, Denise; Gifts of the Visitation, Ave Maria Press. page 133
2 Livingston, Patricia: Daybreaks,Advent and Christmas, “Offer Up Joy”
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