Fourth Sunday in Advent | We can take the willingness of Mary and Elizabeth and apply it to our present life
I’d like to take a little journey of imagination as we prepare for the Fourth Sunday of Advent. The Scriptures tell of a very particular meeting that happens, that of Mary and Elizabeth. Both of them understood that they were to have a child who was destined by God to do great things. Elizabeth was near the end of her life. Mary was nearer the beginning of her life. Young and old met and shared a common joy, wonder and mystery. When Mary entered Elizabeth’s house, the unborn babies greeted each other. I’ve been around enough pregnant women to know that when that baby moves, it can either be a gentle reminder of the baby or a jolt that takes her breath away. We don’t have all the details, but we do know, from the Gospel story, that the meeting was eventful.
The journey of imagination I want to take applies the story of Mary and Elizabeth to our own lives. John the Baptist and Jesus represent God’s promises coming to fulfillment. As we’ve heard throughout Advent, they fulfilled many prophetic messages from the Old Testament. Because we know the rest of the story, we know that John, the forerunner of Jesus, and the Messiah Himself were very different than what the people of the time had imagined. People had interpreted the promises of God in a way that would fit their mind and lifestyle, instead of trying to embrace the full mind of God. We know that embracing the full mind of God is impossible, but let’s imagine ourselves going into the mystery that Elizabeth and Mary were left with.
Is there an area in life that has felt infertile, fruitless and dried up? Have we been tempted, because of that condition, to give up on the promise that God has made? Have we given up on the promise because it has taken too long to blossom? Do we feel called to do something in life but feel inept, lacking the tools or let fear paralyze us from moving forward? Are we stuck in old understandings of how we thought God would use our life and are unwilling to move beyond that? Is there an Advent spirit within us that will allow us to dream about the possibility of the power of God moving our mission?
Both Elizabeth and Mary said “yes” to an invitation, despite not knowing how it would be accomplished. They believed that if God was calling them to that mission, He would equip them with what was needed. Even though they were both afraid and stunned, they did not let fear or anxiety paralyze them in their present state.
Who thought that God would become flesh as a baby in a stable in Bethlehem? Who thought that would be the manifestation of the savior of the world? We still have a hard time believing today. We have a hard time believing that voluntarily emptying ourselves out of love, even for our enemies, is a strong source of grace rather than our own annihilation.
Soon we will celebrate Christmas, the birth of the savior of the world. Will our Advent preparation prepare us to walk the mission of our life like Elizabeth and Mary? Will we move beyond Advent into the Christmas season without allowing our lives to be changed? Wouldn’t that be a shame? There’s no magic in lighting one candle per week for four weeks and then celebrating Christmas. We’re not just called to do good things for others during the four weeks of Advent and then forget about it the rest of the year.
Are you ready for the adventure of a lifetime? That is the question that Elizabeth and Mary had to answer, and they both answered yes. They gave that response not because they were such strong individuals but because they trusted God deeply.
Father Donald Wester is retired and serves as lecturer of homiletics at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary.
