Fourth Sunday of
Advent
22 December 2024, Church Year C
2024-2025
Hope and Love by Rev. Joseph M.
Rampino
Luke 1:39-45
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“How
does
this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to
me?”
These
words
of St. Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist, encapsulate for us
well the spirit that this season of Advent should bring about in
our own souls. Elizabeth,
in the presence of Mary and the unborn Jesus, expresses a
humility that leads to gratitude, surprise, and joy, as well as
a faith that leads to hope and love.
First,
there
is Elizabeth’s humility. She
could already have been considered one of the greats of her
time, both by worldly and spiritual standards. Her husband was a
priest of the Jerusalem temple, chosen to enter the sanctuary
itself for the evening sacrifice, a privilege not guaranteed to
a priest. She
herself had become pregnant by a miracle of grace, announced in
the temple itself by the angel Gabriel. Elizabeth is a woman
of some real consequence, and at another time in Israel’s
history, she and her son would likely have been the
protagonists, the main conduits of divine action. This does not mean
that we should expect her to be haughty, but it does help us to
understand just how sensitive she is to the gifts of God. No matter how many
great gifts she has received, she has not taken a single one of
them for granted, nor does she see herself as entitled to them. We know how sensitive
she is to God’s goodness not just in that she feels surprised
joy at Mary’s visit but in that she rejoices in the greater gift
that Mary has received without a shred of envy.
Then
there
is Elizabeth’s faith. She
instantly
recognizes that Mary is carrying the Messiah, whom she calls “my
Lord.” This
confession of faith in Jesus, even before his birth leads her to
understand that God’s definitive act of salvation, the relief
for which all Israel hoped for centuries, has begun. God has not forgotten
his people, and they can look with courage to the future. To make use of a short
definition of hope, Elizabeth believes that she and her people
matter to God, that he will not fail to come to their rescue,
give them the help they sorely need, and now she sees that her
hope was well placed. Of
course, this faith and hope both reveal and lead to love in
Elizabeth’s soul. She
has longed for the arrival of God’s Messiah, desire being a sure
marker of love, and now standing in the presence of the one whom
she has loved, she is stunned in joy, the mark of possessing
what is loved.
So
then, Elizabeth gives us a standard against which we can compare
our own spiritual lives this Advent. How sensitive have we
remained to God’s goodness and gifts? Do we presume the
Lord’s generosity? Do
we complain against him when things become difficult, or do we
recognize that in an earthly life that was always going include
sufferings, every good thing comes from God as a mercy? Do we believe with
hope? Are we
confident that we matter to God, and that he will not fail to
provide us what we need to reach him? Do we long for God? Do we set our thoughts
and desires on him and his kingdom? Do we refuse to
content ourselves with mere pleasure, honor, success, and
possessions, and hold out for heaven instead? If we grow in choosing
these sentiments, not only will we progress in holiness, but we
will also gain access to the overwhelming joy that Elizabeht
knew the moment she saw Mary carrying Jesus, and we will be more
prepared for the overwhelming joy of eternity.