Today is the Fourth Sunday of Advent, the last Sunday before Christmas. In today’s Gospel passage, we meet two very significant characters who contributed greatly to the story of our salvation: the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and the Savior of the world. The two characters are Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, who prepared the way for Jesus’ arrival and baptized him when he arrived. The gospel passage tells us the story of the pregnant Mary visiting her cousin Elizabeth, who is also pregnant.
Before today’s passage, the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her that she would become the mother of Jesus, the Lord. That was the cake. But there was icing on the cake; the angel also said that Mary’s older cousin, Elizabeth, who was already past the age of giving birth, was six months pregnant. Today’s passage begins by telling us that “Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste … [to] the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.” The haste with which she traveled from the place the angel visited her indicates the joy the news of Elizabeth’s pregnancy brought her. There were no cellphones and social media then. If there were, as soon as she got the news from the angel, she would have picked up her phone and immediately called Elizabeth, “Cousin, do tell: is the news true that you are pregnant? Please, send me a selfie of you and your baby bump.” Elizabeth would have said, “When did you last go on social media? I have long since posted the news with my selfies on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp Status. Please check my page, like, comment, and share the posts.”
But there were no cellphones and social media; all Mary had were her feet, so after the Angel Gabriel broke the news to her, without wasting any time, she set out in haste from Nazareth to Hebron, a journey of about 81 miles (130 kilometers) to see her cousin. When she arrived, filled with the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth could tell that Mary was no longer the little cousin she used to know; there before her was the prospective Mother of the Savior of the World, and so she exclaimed, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” She also said, “Who am I to be visited by the Mother of My Lord?”
Elizabeth’s reaction to Mary’s visit raises many questions. How could Elizabeth recognize her young cousin as the prospective mother of God? There were no cellphones for Mary to have told her. Mary began her journey as soon as the angel told her she would be the mother of Jesus, so it was not long enough for her pregnancy to show. What about those Mary met on her way to Hebron? Could they recognize Mary as the mother of God? Did they accord her the respect due to the mother of God? Did Mary get angry at those who did not accord her the honor due to her? Physically, there was nothing different about Mary; nothing written on her forehead said she was the Mother of the Lord. And there was no social media that would have alerted Elizabeth of Mary’s change of status. She came like any ordinary human being, yet Elizabeth recognized the Mother of the Lord in her. The only explanation for Elizabeth’s ability to recognize Mary as the Mother of God is in what the Gospel passage said about Elizabeth before she spoke; she was “filled with the Holy Spirit.” That is the key! The Holy Spirit that filled Elizabeth made her recognize what was unique about Mary. So, when people do not recognize how special Mary is, we must not be angry at them; we should instead pray that the Holy Spirit who helped Elizabeth may also help them. In the same way, when people do not recognize the image of God in us, our best response should be to pray for the Holy Spirit to open their eyes.
The visit of Mary brought so much joy to Elizabeth and the child in her womb, John the Baptist. The joy from Mary’s visit is traceable to who she was carrying in her womb; Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. Today, Mary is not the only one responsible for carrying Jesus around. As Christians, we should all make a home for Jesus in us. As Catholics, after we receive Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist at Mass, the priest or the deacon says, “Go and announce the gospel of the Lord,” it is an invitation to be like Mary, who had Jesus in her and went in haste to help Elizabeth. As Catholics, after receiving Jesus, we are to go in haste after Mass to show love to others and to help those in need. But how do you know that Jesus is in you? We know by the response we get from those we encounter. The response Mary got from Elizabeth and the baby in Elizabeth’s womb was that of excitement, joy, and peace.
At the end of the Mass, the deacon or priest also says, “Go in peace.” Jesus is that peace. We must not leave him in the Church or keep him to ourselves alone. Everyone we encounter should feel Christ’s peace, joy, and love. While we remain in this world, remember that we are all guests here. As they say, “Every guest makes people happy. Some guests make people happy when they arrive, others when they leave.” To which group do you belong?
Homily for 4th Sunday of Advent Year C 2024
Always well put Fada.
Thanks,
Keith