Gospel Lk. 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.”
Homily
Gifts often make us hurry along to give the gift to the person who is to receive the gift. I often look on very amused at little children who want to be the one handing over the gift at a birthday party. They seem to be so anxious to perform this little act of love. I thought of this as I read the Gospel passage given to us for our meditation this Sunday because of one little word which it uses. The Gospel tells us that “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.”
Mary knew that she was pregnant with the child Jesus and so she went in haste, not simply I believe, to help Elizabeth who was also pregnant with John, but also to present her gift, the Lord Jesus to Elizabeth and her unborn child John. And what a great gift it was! not silver or gold, not ornaments or babies’ clothes, but the Lord himself. We are told that Elizabeth herself was filled with joy and wonderment at the gift and exclaimed; “… 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”. Elizabeth understood very the reason for all that was happening; “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” Mary could give this great gift because she believed that what was spoken to her by the Lord would be fulfilled.
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It is not easy to bring Christ to others. It can be very difficult, not simply because the person may not appreciate Christ, but much more because we are incapable of carrying Christ to others. In carrying Christ to others, Mary is for us the model. Elizabeth gives us what is required to bring Christ to others. She tells Mary; “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” It is because Mary believed the word spoken to her by the Lord that she was equipped to bring Christ to Elizabeth and the yet to be born, John. Mary let God’s word shape and inform her choices and decisions and so permitted the Child Jesus to be formed in her womb. It is only when we let God’s word shape and inform our choices that Christ is formed in us; that we put on the mind which was in Christ Jesus and become Christophers, Christ bearers to this world of ours. Many living and dying on the streets of the world know Christ today because Blessed Mother Teresa let God’s word shape and inform her life and inspired her followers to do the same. How many of the poor and suffering in Trinidad and Tobago know Christ because our beloved Archbishop Anthony Pantin of blessed memory let God’s word shape and inform his life. How many today know Christ and have become Christophers because simple people who led God’s word bring them to a life of love have brought them into contact with Christ.
The good news for us all is that it is possible to let God’s word shape and inform our choices and decisions and so make us capable of bringing the greatest gift to others. May this season of gift giving help us to understand that Christ is the greatest gift of all and that You and I must give that greatest gift of all to those with whom we interact. Amen
Prayer
All powerful and ever-loving God, You gifted your Son to humanity on that first Christmas night. As we celebrate that gift help us to understand that there is no greater gift and that we are called to gift Christ to the world in our own day. Help us to remember that Mary, bearer of that gift to the world could only bear the gift because she let your word inform and shape her life. May we let your word inform and shape our lives also so we may be Christ bearers to the world. We ask this through the intercession of Mary, our Mother and Jesus your Son, the greatest gift. Amen
