God Visits His People

December 19, Sunday

FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

 

Our world is full of humble, ordinary people living in obscure hamlets, and yet some people like these have changed the course of the world. Within the history of the Church we are shown today the first person coming from such an ordinary milieu who by a simple phrase of her YES turned around the course of the world and the Church to be. It is Mary. Her YES to God, her “Here I am,” gave to her and to us Jesus, the Son of God. It made possible the “Here I am, I come to do your will,” of Jesus. Her YES and the YES of Jesus call us and the whole Church today to give our unconditional YES to God. Let us ask in this Eucharist that we may join Jesus and Mary in their YES. Then we can change the course of the world today.

 

First Reading: Micah 5:1-4a

But for now, prepare for the worst, victim daughter!
    The siege is set against us.
They humiliate Israel’s king,
    slapping him around like a rag doll.

But you, Bethlehem, David’s country,
    the runt of the litter—
From you will come the leader
    who will shepherd-rule Israel.
He’ll be no upstart, no pretender.
    His family tree is ancient and distinguished.
Meanwhile, Israel will be in foster homes
    until the birth pangs are over and the child is born,
And the scattered brothers come back
    home to the family of Israel.
He will stand tall in his shepherd-rule by God’s strength,
    centered in the majesty of God-Revealed.
And the people will have a good and safe home,
    for the whole world will hold him in respect—
    Peacemaker of the world!

 

Second Reading: Hebrews 10:5-10

The old plan was only a hint of the good things in the new plan. Since that old “law plan” wasn’t complete in itself, it couldn’t complete those who followed it. No matter how many sacrifices were offered year after year, they never added up to a complete solution. If they had, the worshipers would have gone merrily on their way, no longer dragged down by their sins. But instead of removing awareness of sin, when those animal sacrifices were repeated over and over they actually heightened awareness and guilt. The plain fact is that bull and goat blood can’t get rid of sin. That is what is meant by this prophecy, put in the mouth of Christ:

You don’t want sacrifices and offerings year after year;
    you’ve prepared a body for me for a sacrifice.
It’s not fragrance and smoke from the altar
    that whet your appetite.
So I said, “I’m here to do it your way, O God,
    the way it’s described in your Book.”

When he said, “You don’t want sacrifices and offerings,” he was referring to practices according to the old plan. When he added, “I’m here to do it your way,” he set aside the first in order to enact the new plan—God’s way—by which we are made fit for God by the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus.

 

Gospel: Luke 1:39-45

Mary didn’t waste a minute. She got up and travelled to a town in Judah in the hill country, straight to Zachariah’s house, and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby in her womb leaped. She was filled with the Holy Spirit, and sang out exuberantly,

You’re so blessed among women,
    and the babe in your womb, also blessed!
And why am I so blessed that
    the mother of my Lord visits me?
The moment the sound of your
    greeting entered my ears,
The babe in my womb
    skipped like a lamb for sheer joy.
Blessed woman, who believed what God said,
    believed every word would come true!

 

Prayer
Faithful God,
let us see the face of your Son
and we shall be saved.
Let Jesus come so much alive
among us your people
that with him we can seek your will in all we do.
Help us to serve you and our brothers and sisters
together with Mary, your humble servant,
and with her sing the joyful song
of those you set free
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Reflection:

God journeys to live among his people

The liturgy of this Fourth Sunday of Advent focuses on the figure of Mary, the Virgin Mother, expecting the birth of Jesus, the Saviour of the world. What were her thoughts in these months while she was expecting? The answer comes precisely from today’s Gospel passage, the narrative of Mary’s visit to her elderly relative Elizabeth (cf. Lk 1:39-45).

This episode helps us to interpret the mystery of man’s encounter with God that is not characterized by astonishing miracles, but rather, is characterized by faith and charity. Indeed, Mary is blessed because she believed: the encounter with God is the fruit of faith.

Without faith one remains inevitably deaf to the consoling voice of God; and incapable of speaking words of consolation and hope to our brothers and sisters. That explains the meaning of Zachariah turning dumb, because he himself was in doubt of the message of the angel – how could he be speaking of the message of God’s consolation?

Pope Francis gives the example of “People who have no faith, when they have to approach a person who is suffering, they speak words suited to the occasion, but they do not manage to touch their hearts. A person of Faith on the other hand, is capable of touching the lives and hearts of those in distress because they are in the first place, nourished by charity.

The visit of our Lady to Elizabeth is not just an encounter of two people, but also an encounter between God and his people. A person of faith is capable of touching the hearts of people because their faith allows them to touch and experience their God.

The Spirit teaches us to look beyond appearances and enables us to speak well of others – to bless them. This is especially true with regard to our brothers and sisters who are homeless, exposed to the rough world, lacking perhaps not only a roof over their head or a piece of bread, but also lack the friendship and warmth of a community to embrace, a shelter to protect them and a society that accept them.

Mary, as she journeys to visit Elizabeth, reminds us where God desired to dwell and live, where his sanctuary is: it is in the midst of his People. There he is, there he lives, there he awaits us. We can apply to ourselves the prophet’s call not to fear, not to let our arms grow weak! For the Lord our God is in our midst; he is a powerful saviour (cf. Zeph 3:16-17) and he is in the midst of his people. This is the secret of every Christian: God is in our midst as a powerful saviour. Our certainty of this enables us, like Mary, to sing and exult with joy.

 

Video available on Youtube:God journeys to live among his people