Fourth Sunday of Advent (C)

December 23, 2018 

Readings:

First Reading: Micah 5: 1-4a

Psalm: 80

Second Reading: Hebrews 10: 5-10

Gospel reading according to Luke 1: 39-45

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Homily:

On this fourth Sunday of Advent, again Mary was presented by Luke in his gospel.  She went in haze, in a hurry, in Ain Karim, in the country hill of Judah, for it is important to her to see her cousin Elizabeth, who was in her six-month pregnancy, as reported by the Archangel Gabriel.  Mary believed this good news for she trusted the messenger of God; it was very urgent to go and see and to help her kinswoman in her needs.  “Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haze to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth” (Lk. 1: 39-40).  Mary traveled alone; the gospel was silent whether Joseph was with her when she traveled to visit Elizabeth, her cousin, in haze, “nagmamadali siya,” to see the condition of Elizabeth, after she learned it from the archangel.  For six months, before the archangel appeared to her, Mary did not hear any news about her cousin. It was from the archangel she learned about the pregnancy of Elisabeth.  Mary was courageous enough to take miles in her journey to the place of her kinswoman.  When she arrived in the house of Zechariah she greeted Elizabeth like what the archangel did to her when he was sent by God to her.  A kiss of peace was also given to each other.     

When the greeting of Mary reached Elizabeth, the baby in her womb recognized the voice of the chosen mother of the Son of God.  “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb . . .” (Lk. 1:41).  There was movement in the belly of Elizabeth, “nagkakakawag,” as if the baby (John) wanted to see Mary, the mother of the baby (Jesus), and greet her with great salutation and highest respect (“dulia”).  The baby (John) in the womb of Elizabeth would like to welcome Mary and the baby she carried, Jesus, in his parents’ house as special guests.     

As for Elizabeth, who was also became pregnant by the Holy Spirit yet conceived a child by her husband, Zechariah, was moved by the same Holy Spirit that came to Mary yet overshadowed by God the Father, praised God with shouts of joy and happiness.  “. . . 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’.” (Lk. 1: 42).  She said to Mary that she is blessed of all women, from the creation of the world, from Eve to the last woman on earth.  No women can be compared to Mary in her blessedness.  And she is more blessed with her child in her womb, a Son of God, Lord of all and Savior of all.

Full of the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth also recognized Mary as mother of her Lord present and in her front in her lowliness and blessedness and ready to serve her.  “’And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me’?” (Lk. 1: 43).  Elizabeth asked Mary how she knew that she was six months pregnant despite the distance and the unavailability of the courier or no one was sent to her place for she was hiding due to the working of God on her and on her husband, who became mute.  Maybe Mary told everything to Elizabeth of what the archangel said about her condition, during his apparition and/or carrying the Message from Heaven.

Elizabeth understood now and believed of what Mary told her about the archangel and the Message from God the Father, for the same experienced she had when the same archangel Gabriel appeared to her and to her husband, Zechariah, in the Temple in Jerusalem when his group was tasked to offer incense in the Holy of Holiest and the archangel announced to him his long awaited son to be borne in his house but he did not believe.  So, Elizabeth, with full of trust, confidence and belief, proclaimed to Mary that, “’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’.” (Lk. 1: 44-45).  Mary, too, now understood and believed totally, fiat, to what the archangel Gabriel announced to her that everything will happen and be fulfilled, because nothing is impossible with God.