Category: Uncategorized

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Gospel: Luke 1:39-45

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.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb, 
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, 
cried out in a loud voice and said, 
“Blessed are you among women, 
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me, 
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, 
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Elizabeth welcomes Mary with open arms, making this the only passage in the Gospels where two women meet… and they’re both pregnant. 

These moms-to-be embrace, laugh, wonder, and wipe away each other’s tears, rejoicing over what has happened. Elizabeth is six months pregnant with John the Baptist. And, more importantly, God has taken on flesh in the womb of Mary.

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The backdrop of this embrace begins at the Annunciation, when the angel Gabriel appears to Mary, revealing that she’ll bear the Son of God in her womb. It’s a preposterous, risky proposal. “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” she questions.

Being found pregnant as a young teenager without a husband would’ve been a social taboo, a scarlet letter. Mary not only risks losing Joseph; she also risks losing her life. According to the Law, Joseph could have her stoned for such an offense.

And yet, she doesn’t consult a single human being before consenting to God’s will. 

Mary makes the decision herself, accepting Gabriel’s proclamation, revealing not only her purity of heart, but also her autonomy – as both a woman and a believer. She’s willing to risk everything in order to glorify God.

And so, Mary smuggles God into this world, keeping him safe inside her own body for nine months. In the process, she experiences a type of death-to-self. 

Her fiat – her “yes” – becomes the forerunner to the famous words later written by Saint Paul, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who is living in me.” From the moment of the Annunciation onward, Mary and Christ are one.

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Seeking to share this Good News, Mary travels 80-miles through rugged hill country in order to visit her cousin, Elizabeth. Their embrace leads to the first worship service where Christ is the cause and center.

Upon her arrival, John the Baptist leaps in Elizabeth’s womb as Elizabeth praises Mary’s boldness and faith.

“How does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” she exclaims. 

In the Old Testament, the “mother of my Lord” was a title reserved for the queen mother. She, not the king’s wife, reigned as queen. Her power and influence were second only to the king.

For example, at the moment of King David’s death, his son, Solomon, ascends the throne. And the first thing he does as king is bow to his mother. Solomon provides her with a throne, and says to her, “My mother, I will not refuse you” (1 Kings 2:19-20).

Thus, when Elizabeth greets Mary and calls her, “the mother of my Lord,” she not only recognizes that Mary is the new queen of Israel; she also recognizes that her child, Christ, is the king. 

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Mary humbly accepts this, but she elevates that praise to God, singing a song of adoration. “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,” she says. “For he has looked with favor upon his lowly servant.”

Though she may be queen, Mary bows in adoration to Christ the King.

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What makes Mary and Elizabeth’s worship even richer is the fact that both of them rejoice in the midst of uncertainty.

Mary must’ve wondered, “Will Joseph accept me as I am? After all, I did not consult him about this pregnancy.”

Elizabeth must’ve wondered, “Will Zechariah, her husband, speak again after being struck mute by an angel in the Temple?”

Both of them must’ve wondered whether or not they’d survive childbirth, if they’d be worthy mothers of these children, and what, exactly, their children would become.  

Yet in their uncertainty coupled with joy, they worship the Lord.

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It’s what we do every time we gather as a community of faith. We celebrate the unknown, the providence of God in our lives, our gratitude for the past, and our hope for the future.

May Mary and Elizabeth pray for us, that we’d welcome Christ this Christmas, smuggling him first into the warmth of our hearts, then sharing this Good News with the world.

Salvation has come!

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Image credits: (1) Our Sunday Visitor (2) The Sisterhood of Saint John the Divine (3)

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Gospel: Luke 1: 26-38

In the sixth month,
the angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”

But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”

Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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On Wednesday, we heard Joseph’s account of the Annunciation. An angel appeared to him in a dream, encouraging him to take the miraculously pregnant Mary into his home.

Today we roll back in time, hearing Mary’s account of the story.

The angel Gabriel promises that she’ll conceive the Son of God in her womb. Her initial reaction is that of fear and confusion. “How can this be?” she wonders. But Gabriel consoles her, “Do not be afraid. You have found favor with God!” 

Mary was afraid for several reasons. First, she’s staring at angel! Who of us has ever seen a divine creature before? Secondly, as their conversation ensues, she begins to realize what is at stake.

She’s about to become a mom. There’s no guarantee that Joseph will accept the news. No guarantee that Mary will be accepted. No guarantee Joseph will help her to raise this child. 

Yet, without consulting anyone, Mary solemnly declares:

“Let it be done unto me according to your word.”

She surrenders to the angel, because she loves God more than Joseph, more than her future, even more than herself.

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Thus, the Christmas story begins with Mary’s fulfillment of the Law, which states: “You shall love the Lord your God with all of your mind, body, heart, and soul.” 

Mary was willing to risk everything in order to glorify God.

Can we do the same?

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As we prepare to meet the Christ-child this Christmas, perhaps we might consider: 

Does God come first in my life? Or, at times, do other people or things take a higher priority?

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May the Blessed Mother, who accepted God’s providence in her life, pray that we would do the same. May it be done unto us according to His Word.

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Image credits: (1) The Anunciation, Fra Angelico (2) We Dare to Say (3) Church of the Ascension

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Gospel: Luke 1:5-25

In the days of Herod, King of Judea,
there was a priest named Zechariah
of the priestly division of Abijah;
his wife was from the daughters of Aaron,
and her name was Elizabeth. 
Both were righteous in the eyes of God,
observing all the commandments
and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. 
But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren
and both were advanced in years. 

Once when he was serving as priest
in his division’s turn before God,
according to the practice of the priestly service,
he was chosen by lot
to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense. 
Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside
at the hour of the incense offering,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him,
standing at the right of the altar of incense. 
Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him. 

But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah,
because your prayer has been heard. 
Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,
and you shall name him John. 
And you will have joy and gladness,
and many will rejoice at his birth,
for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. 
He will drink neither wine nor strong drink. 
He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb,
and he will turn many of the children of Israel
to the Lord their God. 
He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah
to turn the hearts of fathers toward children
and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous,
to prepare a people fit for the Lord.” 

Then Zechariah said to the angel,
“How shall I know this? 
For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 
And the angel said to him in reply,
“I am Gabriel, who stand before God.
I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. 
But now you will be speechless and unable to talk
until the day these things take place,
because you did not believe my words,
which will be fulfilled at their proper time.”
Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah
and were amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary. 
But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them,
and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. 
He was gesturing to them but remained mute.

Then, when his days of ministry were completed, he went home. 

After this time his wife Elizabeth conceived,
and she went into seclusion for five months, saying,
“So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit
to take away my disgrace before others.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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At the time when this Gospel passage was written, there were about 20,000 priests in Israel. Often, this honor came by birthright; any male who was a descendant of Aaron was automatically a priest. Such was the case for Zechariah.

Because of the sheer number of priests, most never had the opportunity to enter the Holy of Holies, the innermost room of the Temple where God’s presence dwelt. There sacrifices were made on behalf of the entire nation.

But today the lot falls on Zechariah. It was his time, but a bittersweet moment. 

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Though an incredible honor to pray for his people, deep within his heart, Zechariah also harbored inconsolable grief. He was now an elderly man, and his wife, Elizabeth, was barren. At that time, there was a great deal of shame associated with being childless. 

It was even grounds for divorce.

So, when Zechariah entered the Holy of Holies, he was not only praying for his nation; he was also praying for a son.

Suddenly, an angel appears telling him that his prayer has been heard! But because of his disbelief, he’s struck mute.

Scholars say this was an act of mercy on the angel’s behalf, preventing Zechariah from blaspheming – or doubting God’s power – while standing in the holiest place on earth. 

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His story presents both a challenge and a word of comfort for us today.

Notice Zechariah fell into the age-old temptation of favoring human logic over Divine Providence. While the angel promised him that his wife would conceive a son, he didn’t believe it; he thought Elizabeth was too old. 

How often do we also favor human logic over Divine Providence? Or pray to God, while doubting in our heart of hearts that we’ll actually be heard? 

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And notice where Zechariah’s prayer is heard and answered… in the Temple. Sometimes the Lord waits until we bring our intentions to the altar before answering us.

When we do offer a prayer, remember nothing is impossible for God.

Just think of Zechariah.

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Image credits: (1) CreativeKidsWork.com (2) Zechariah in the Temple, Jan Lievens (3) Catholic Answers