FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT – YEAR C

GOSPEL READING: LUKE 1: 39-45

“THE MOTHER OF MY LORD SHOULD COME TO ME.”

Rev. Linh N. Nguyen

INTRODUCTION:

The Virgin Mary is the type of woman who put her faith into action. Not only did she say, “Lord, may it be done to me according to your word,” but she also hurried to see God at work in the life of her relative Elizabeth. The journey to Judea that Mary undertook was a difficult journey that would have taken at least three days at that time. Mary did not let that stop her from going to Elizabeth, rejoicing with her, and praising the Lord for fulfilling his promises.

In his description of the meeting of Mary and Elizabeth, Luke continued to highlight the superiority of Jesus over John. Even in the womb, John leaped for joy, for he was already pointing to Jesus Christ. And Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and praised Mary for “the fruit of her womb.”

GOSPEL BACKGROUND:

During those days 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 set out “in haste” to visit Elizabeth. It tells us that Mary went with purpose and seriousness. She was not going on a casual, friendly visit. She had a very specific reason for going, a meaningful purpose. She was going so that she and Elizabeth could encourage and share with each other.

They both had similar situations. God had acted upon both their bodies, performing a miracle for both. Elizabeth’s womb was made alive for the son of Zechariah to be conceived, and Mary’s womb had conceived as a virgin.

Mary in particular could be encouraged, for Elizabeth was already six months pregnant. The six months’ pregnancy was visible evidence that God had already acted upon her miraculously. It should be noted that Mary knew about Elizabeth’s miraculous conception, but Elizabeth did not know about Mary’s conception.

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.

When Mary greeted Elizabeth, three unusual things immediately happened:

1. The babe leaped in Elizabeth’s womb. It was a sign to Elizabeth that the Babe within Mary was someone very, very special.

2. Elizabeth was instantly “filled with the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit seized her and led her to greet Mary as the mother of the Messiah, the coming Lord.

3. Elizabeth spoke in a loud voice. She was full of joy and exaltation for the Messiah. She was under the influence and impulse of the Spirit of God. She was being guided to proclaim that the Baby of Mary was “the Lord.”

In a loud voice, Elizabeth said, “Most 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.”

Elizabeth proclaimed a uniqueness about Mary and her child. Note two things:

1. The very first act toward Christ was a proclamation of praise. Elizabeth was the first person to know about the birth of Christ other than Mary, and God saw to it that her first act was to honor His Son.

2. Elizabeth demonstrated a very sweet and humble spirit, a meekness and love that were so desperately needed by so many. She was older, and by being the wife of a priest she was recognized by the world as being of a higher social class and more honorable. Yet Mary, poor and unrecognized by the world, had been chosen by God to serve in a more special way. Elizabeth showed no envy or jealousy, no hurt or withdrawal. On the other hand, she rejoiced over Mary’s call.

The Holy Spirit revealed to Elizabeth that the Babe in her cousin’s womb was not only the promised Messiah, but He was the Son of the Highest, of God Himself. Elizabeth was under the power of the Holy Spirit; therefore, she was confessing the truth under the influence of God. The truth was that the coming Child of Mary was the Messiah, the Son of the living God. She was also contrasting her son with the Son of Mary. Her own son was to be great, but the Son of Mary was greater. He was the Lord God Himself, the Son of the Highest.

CONCLUSION: 

Elizabeth proclaimed that Mary’s faith would receive the promise. The result of Mary believing the Word of God was that she was to see the performance of God’s promises, the things told her from the Lord. As Gabriel told Mary, “The Lord is with you,” Mary believed that, and it made all the difference.

If we wish to be blessed by God like the Virgin Mary, we must believe the Word of God sent to us. We must become related to Christ by adoption. We must become the adopted children of God.