4th Sunday of Advent (C)

Mi 5:1-4a; Heb10:5-10; Lk 1:39-45

“And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb’” (Lk 1:41-42).

Why was Mary blessed among women? First of all, Mary was blessed because she got the highest honor ever granted by God to a human being: the motherhood of God’s only Son. Why God chose a lowly human being to be the mother of His Son would remain a great wonderment for all theologians. It is no secret, however, that God often gives preference for the little ones, the simple and the humble. In the first reading, for example, the prophet Micah predicted that God would choose Bethlehem, the littlest among Judah’s clan, to be the Messiah’s place of origin (Mi 5:2).

Mary was blessed among women not only for the conception of Jesus but also because she remained faithful to God’s will all her life. In the gospel, Jesus teaches that obedience to God’s will is the central element in our relationship with him. To the woman who exclaimed “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that you sucked”, Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it” (Lk 11:27-28). In another occasion, he said, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it” (Lk 8:21). Mary was blessed because she was the first of all disciples, the most obedient among God’s children.

As we enter the final phase of our preparations for Christmas, the Church would like us to emulate Mary’s example of generous self-giving. During the annunciation, the angel told Mary that God has chosen her to be the mother of the Divine Savior. She was also informed about the pregnancy of her cousin Elizabeth. The gospel says that immediately after the annunciation, Mary traveled in haste to Judah not to boast of her special honor but to provide assistance to her cousin who was carrying a baby in her old age. Mary was not only ready to serve God; she was also quick to help others in need. Indeed, she did not have to be prompted; she went quickly.

During this Christmas season, it would be very meaningful if, like Mary, we begin to consider how we can provide genuine assistance to others who are less fortunate. Ordinarily, we would like to wonder “What are we going to receive this Christmas?” and “Who will give us the best Christmas present?” The gospel, however, would like us to consider “What can we meaningfully give this Christmas?” and “Who are the people that greatly need our Christmas gifts?”

The prayer of Anna Lee Edwards McAlpin is meaningful for the Christmas season:

Help me have a love for others

That surpasses "self" or gain;

Teach me how to share their sorrow,

Bear with them through stress and pain.

May I never do a favor,

Hoping glory to receive,

Just because I did my duty

And a troubled heart relieved.

May I never be "self-righteous,"

But remember well that He stated in the Holy Scriptures,

"This thou doest unto Me.”

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