The Fourth Sunday of Advent, C December 23, 2018
Fr. Albert St. Peter’s, New Iberia
What would you do? Imagine your reaction to an angel appearing to you. A shining light, a voice that echoes with some mysterious power, a heavenly being of pure spirit right there before your very eyes. And, he’s talking to you. “Hail!” He says. I mean, how does someone even process that reality when it happens? And then he has a message! It’s about your mission in this world. “You,” says the angel, “are special, favored by God in a unique way and he is with you. And God has an amazing plan for you. He’s changing the world forever and he’s doing it through you. And He’s going to flat out overrule the laws of nature just to do it. The Holy Spirit and the Power of the Most High God will overshadow you in a way that it never has for anyone else and never will again.” Then the angel says, “oh, also, your married cousin is pregnant.”
Of all the things to take away from that experience, what would be the most important? Which incredible proclamation would have the most immediate and profound effect on your life? Maybe I’m wrong, but I bet most of us would not put “your married cousin is pregnant” at the top of the list of things to focus on. But that is what Mary does and that is what we’ve just heard.
Mary has just been proclaimed the “favored one” of God – full of grace. No one else in all of human history has that title from God’s angel. By the power of the Holy Spirit, she is literally filled with God and what’s her first “action item?” “Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.” She went in haste. Forget the glory. Forget the world-shattering revelation of my place in the universe. I’ve got to go take care of my pregnant cousin and I’ve got to go right now.
That attitude right there, that eagerness, that rush to help another is one of many reasons we honor Mary so much – she always turns her glory to the good of others. And if you think we get too excited about Mary, then blame Elizabeth. She started it.
We’ve all seen how some teenage girls get when they spot a friend they haven’t seen in a while. The shouting, the running, jumping up and down and shrieking. It’s silly, it’s funny, and it’s actually kind of sweet.. for teenage girls. But now, imagine an older woman. And not just anyone – Elizabeth is married to a priest; She has a certain social status. Not only that, she is sixth months pregnant! And what does she do when she see’s her much younger cousin? Mary is the teenager in this scene, but it’s the pregnant, older Elizabeth who cries out in loud voice, “Blessed are you among women!” That’s the ancient Jewish equivalent of “you’re awesome and I’m so glad to see you!”
But that’s not even the half of it. Elizabeth then exclaims in wonder “how does this happen to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” She’s not amazed that the Lord is there, but that the mother of my Lord should grace her with her presence. And again, the unborn John the Baptist leaps in her womb for joy when Mary’s greeting reaches his mother’s ears. So yeah, the Catholic Church gets pretty excited about Mary, but Elizabeth and John started it – and it says right here that the Holy Spirit filled them, inspiring them to act this way.
So why is there all this excitement? Fortunately, Elizabeth also tells us: “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” Mary is blessed indeed because of her belief, her trust in God’s promises.
Mary’s blessedness does not come from herself, but from her faith and from the God who chose to use her in this amazing way. We praise Mary in the very words of Scripture, in the same words spoken by Elizabeth and by the Angel. We praise her because, above all, she is the most perfect disciple of Jesus Christ, period. It began with her humble heart of service; a heart that puts her importance at the service of a pregnant older woman. It began with the genuine faith that never hesitated, replying “let it be done unto me according to your will.” It began with the ability to be so filled with God that her own voice carries the power of God in it, bringing joy to all who hear it.
And that blessedness of Mary is exactly what we need to hear 48/24 hours before Christmas because it reminds us where the true blessedness – the true joy – of Christmas is found. It’s not the rush to unwrap gifts. It’s not the beauty and splendor of decorations. It’s not the amazing food. It is the opportunity to give not just presents, but some expression of love. It is the opportunity to proclaim a message of joy and hope. It is, above all, the opportunity to hear God say to you “I want my own Son to live in you!” and to believe it!
That is the real meaning of blessedness: to be close to God, to have a close relationship to him. We use that word “blessing” to describe the many good things and even some of the challenging things in our lives. But the truth is, they are only blessings inasmuch as they deepen our relationship with God. And that God is about to become a tiny baby for no other reason than to be close to you.
So, learn from the first and most perfect disciple how to accept that gift this Christmas. Focus not on your own importance, but on the chance to serve someone in need. Learn to recognize that the Church’s voice, like Mary’s, carries the good news of salvation. Strive to be so filled with God through prayer and the sacraments that people feel joy when they hear your voice. And perhaps above all, believe. God loves you. God loves you. God loves you. He promises salvation and forgiveness. He promises to make you holy if you let him. He has spoken and continues to speak to you this message of joy, hope, and love. Blessed are you if you believe that what was spoken to you by the Lord will be fulfilled.