Word to the Wise
Sunday, December 19, 2021 - 4th Sunday of Advent - C
[Mic 5:1-4a; Heb 10:5-10; Luke 1:39-45]When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in here womb, and Elizabesth, 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. [Luke]
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2021 DECEMBER 19 [Countdown Day - but with Sunday scriptures]
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The story-telling genius of the evangelist Luke is very much on display in the scene which is traditionally called, "the Visitation." This story has many layers of encounter that can richly reward our meditation. Without ranking the importance of the meanings, I want to point to several that I hope will serve as "signposts" for consideration.
The first thing is simply the encounter of the two unexpectedly pregnant women - Elizabeth because of age and Mary because of God's intervention. The moms I know (especially the ones who had trouble conceiving) can relate to this scene and its joy and, especially, to a baby "leaping" in the womb!! It is the faith of the two women, tied in with their pregnancies, that captures what one of the Christmas "preface prayers" calls, "the wonder of the incarnation." Elizabeth's faith is shown in her acknowledgment of Mary as "the mother of my LORD!" There is also a contrast with her husband, Zechariah's, lack of faith when the angel announced Elizabeth's pregnancy. Mary's faith is highlighted first in Elizabeth's words, "Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled." This proclamation is followed by Mary's hymn of faith and praise, traditionally called "the Magnificat," which is a mini-history of God's plan of salvation! Promise and fulfillment are on full display! Her hymn is to be contrasted with the earlier hymn (canticle) of Zechariah, traditionally called "the Benedictus."
The scene also speaks to the status of John the Baptist as a prophetic voice but NOT the Messiah! John's "leap" in the womb of Elizabeth was interpreted in the early Church as an acknowledgment of Jesus' status.
We are invited into the many levels of this scene from the very human situation of the two women to the complete plan of salvation of which they are a part. This can help us from being overwhelmed by the "holiday culture" that threatens to drown out the story of our salvation. AMEN