20151220 Fourth Advent C

The past three weeks were spent in prayer and reflection. Each week, one more candle in the Advent Wreath was lit. Last week the pink candle was lit expressing joy that the wait is almost over and we will soon celebrate the coming of Christ our Savior. Today, the last purple candle was lit. During this last week of Advent, let us continue to follow Pope Francis’ call to increase sacrificial prayer for the conversion of souls.
When Mary questioned the angel how she could bear a child, the angel told her that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and the child would be called the Son of God. The angel also told her that her relative Elizabeth was pregnant in her old age and would bear a son – “for nothing will be impossible for God”.
Keep in mind that this took place two thousand years ago when there were no phones let alone smart phones with texting. Communication was strictly by word of mouth since few people were educated. Only the church leaders (the Sadducees, the Pharisees and Priests) and the leaders in civil government were able to write and read. In addition, only a few people knew that Elizabeth was pregnant because she went into seclusion for five months when she conceived.
Today’s Gospel starts with action. Luke states: “Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste” to see Elizabeth. This was unheard of in that time. Women in the Mediterranean world were always in a group: a group of women, a group of women and children or they were with a male relative such as a father or brother or uncle who kept tabs on them. A woman’s reputation would be ruined from being alone, let alone to travel alone. Travel in those days was very dangerous. Robbers waited along the road to attack and rob anyone who came along. If Mary joined a caravan like most travelers in that day did for safety on the roads, Luke probably would have mentioned it.
Mary goes alone on a four day journey to the town of Judah to see Elizabeth. Mary travels on the rough roads of sand and rocks under the hot sun to Judah. She is not worried about herself, she only wants to visit Elizabeth to rejoice with her and help her during her pregnancy.
Elizabeth knew that Mary was pregnant with the Son of God. When she heard Mary’s voice she was filled with the Holy Spirit and said “And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”
What was different about these two women who were talking together and rejoicing in the promise and hope that was given to them from God? One was a woman in her later years and the spouse of a priest; the other was a young teenage peasant girl who was pregnant without a husband. The difference that set them apart was when Elizabeth said to Mary “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” Mary’s belief brought hope to the world.
It is appropriate that we take a few moments to ponder the miraculous event of Mary’s “yes” to God. Under the oppressive rule of the Romans and in extremely difficult economic situations, two women found joy in the promise that God gave them. Because they both believed in God’s promise, they had hope for the future. That future would bring God’s mercy to the world.
Mary understood the profound impact her yes would have on the future when she said “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”
John Paul the second wrote: “Mary, then, is the one who has the deepest knowledge of the mystery of God’s mercy. She knows its price, she knows how great it is. In this sense, we call her the Mother of mercy: our Lady of mercy, or Mother of divine mercy; in each one of these titles there is a deep theological meaning, for they express the special preparation of her soul, of her whole personality, so that she was able to perceive, through the complex events, first of Israel, then of every individual and of the whole of humanity, that mercy of which “from generation to generation” people become sharers according to the eternal design of the most Holy Trinity.”
We are unable to comprehend the whole of God’s mercy like Mary, but we can still share God’s love and mercy. As individuals of the whole of humanity, we become sharers in God’s mercy. As sharers, we bring hope to others by our kindness, concern and love to others. Father Ron Rolheiser wrote: “Hope is believing in the promise of God and believing that God has the power to fulfill that promise.”
The Gospel reading this week speaks to us about belief and action. As we approach the celebration of the coming of our Savior, it is time for action: action to believe in the promise of God and that God has the power to fulfill that promise, action to spend time in continued sacrificial prayer for the conversion of souls and action to find God’s mercy and forgive those who have hurt us.
Like Mary, we must believe and act on the gift God gave us. Will we pray that God will increase our belief in Jesus so that we can say like Mary “Lord your will be done in my life”? Are we willing to accept God’s will, even if it leads in paths that don’t fit our plans? Will we teach our children about God’s mercy and peace so his mercy will last from generation to generation? In this Jubilee of Mercy, are we willing to share the mercy God gives to us with those who have hurt us? Will we overcome our hurt and bitterness to seek those who have wronged us to say “I forgive you”?