Word to the Wise
Wednesday, December 21, 2022 - December 21
[Cant 2:8-14 or Zeph 3:14-18a and Luke 1:39-45]Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged! The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; he will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love; he will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals. [Zephaniah] When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most 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]
The exuberance of the alternative first scriptures (Song of Songs and Zephaniah) and the meeting of Mary and Elizabeth brings to my mind the holiday song, "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!" Certainly the unexpected visit of an unexpectedly pregnant cousin to the home of another unexpectedly pregnant cousin could be a time of surprise and amazing joy! (I suspect more than one pregnant mom might roll her eyes at a baby "leaping for joy!") One might also wonder if there is a sly "dig" by Elizabeth at her husband who doubted that "what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled!" He was still unable to speak until John the Baptist was born because he didn't believe what the angel announced to him!
Mary's faith in what God promised is showcased here. The nativity scene in our homes is a manifestation of faith that God has kept the promise foretold by the prophets and now brought to fulfillment in the humanity of Jesus through the cooperation of Mary! The giddiness of the Song of Songs and the encouraging comfort of Zephaniah combine with the joy and theological depth of the "Visitation" to move us forward to a scene in Bethlehem! AMEN