Saturday, December 19, 2009

ADVENT IV, LUKE 1:39-45

The Gospel reading says that on hearing Mary's greeting to Elizabeth,
the child in Elizabeth's womb leapt for joy. Mary and Elizabeth's
encounter was a sharing of joy. Each had her own reason for a great
happiness but thought of the other's happiness. Joy that is shared is
doubled. It was a special joy because it found its source in God.
Wherever Mary goes, she provokes an explosion of joy like at the
wedding in Cana. In today's Gospel, the baby leaps for joy. Elizabeth
shouts her joy at being visited by the Lord in Mary's womb, and in
Mary's Magnificat the poor exult for joy because their liberation is
close at hand.

Mary is proclaimed blessed by Elizabeth because she believed that the
promise made to her by the Lord would be fulfilled. God made so many
promises to the chosen people of Israel through the prophets. But when
their fulfillment was delayed, the people doubted the word of the
Lord. They preferred to place their trust in themselves and in their
plans and it ended in total failure. Mary instead is blessed because
she trusted God. She was sure that in spite of all appearances to the
contrary, the word of the Lord would be fulfilled.

Maybe our communities and all of us today could be called blessed
because we have believed the word of the Lord. Let us try to question
ourselves, for instance, if we are really convinced that the promises
God made in the Beatitudes to the peacemakers, the non-violent, those
who offer the other cheek, those who do not seek vengeance, will
really be fulfilled. Perhaps we do believe in God but maybe only to a
certain point especially when God asks us to do something that goes
against human common sense. Mary is teaching us that it is worthwhile
to place our trust in the Lord; not just when it suits us or
occasionally but always. Perhaps in these next few days before
Christmas, we need to ask ourselves: "Where are we going to find him,
the Messiah, the expected Savior? Is it on the surface of life?

As one family, let us prepare our hearts for the coming of the Lord in
faith, in simplicity, in humility and in availability. Christmas is a
family feast. Let us learn to give up our inflexibility and
stubbornness and be good to one another. Forgive one another and do
our share in creating a hearty atmosphere in our home. Give God all
the chances of becoming human in our home, in our family, in the union
of our married partnership, in the oneness between parents and
children. So many things can become signs of our availability and of
God's graciousness. All these signs combine to become the sacrament of
our Christmas this year: God becomes man and He becomes human among
us, in our homes, our hearts, our community and in our world.

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