Is everyone joyful? I don’t know; there are some grumpy looking faces out there.
Now, I don’t expect you to leap for joy as John the Baptist did in his mother’s womb. But maybe a joyful smile…That’s better.
Because in case you didn’t notice, they’re almost over. No, I’m not talking about the political commercials; we’ve got another 10 months of those to suffer through. And you know they’re only going to get worse. And neither am I talking about the remaining shopping days before Christmas.
I’m talking about the days of Advent. They’re almost over. And as we approach the day of Christ’s coming, Christmas Day, we should be increasingly joyful.
Did you notice how everyone in today’s Gospel passage from Luke is just bursting with joy? Tiny John the Baptist, still in his mother’s womb, leaps for joy.
And Elizabeth is so filled with joy and the Holy Spirit that she cries joyfully, greeting the mother of her Lord. She didn’t just say, “Oh, hi, Mary.” No, she cried out to the rooftops so that all the neighbors would hear her, and not only the neighbors but the hosts of heaven as well.And Mary herself, as she will exclaim moments later in her Magnificat [Lk 1:46-55], “my soul rejoices in God my Savior.” Yes, this Visitation by Mary, and by Jesus, is one of those “rosary moments” as my mother used to call them. Actually, it’s a very special rosary moment, because it is not only one of the joyful mysteries, the Visitation, but it’s the source of the words of the prayer that’s prayed more than any other.
Earlier in this same 1st chapter of Luke, the archangel Gabriel gives us the opening words of that prayer: “Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee…” And then Elizabeth, as if completing the archangel’s thoughts, adds, “Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.”
Yes, Mary, this woman-child, still in her teens, is blessed. Elizabeth knows it. The unborn infant, John, knows it. And Mary, too, knows it, for she praises God saying: “From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.”
Yes, today we are surrounded by and immersed in joy and blessing not only in Scripture, the Liturgy of the Word, but in the Liturgy of the Eucharist, where Christ comes to us, in communion, becoming one with us. This Eucharistic coming is just like His first coming 2,000 years ago and just like His coming on the last day. For He is here – Emmanuel – God with us. As the prophet Zephaniah said in our Old Testament reading, "The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior..." [Zeph 3:17] Can there be a better reason for joy?
Not only is Mary blessed, but we too are blessed; for the Father has given us the same gift He gave Mary: the gift of a Savior who opened the gates of heaven for us. Through the Eucharist, He lets us take that gift within us, making us, like Mary, God-bearers.
And so, today, in these last few days before the actual Christmas season begins, take time to pray, fast a bit, repent at the sacrament of reconciliation, read the Bible. Take time just to be joyfully still in God’s presence. Make these last days of Advent special days. Make them days of preparation, days to prepare ourselves to receive and acknowledge the Father’s wondrous gift of salvation.
Let’s do as Jesus instructed and, like that other Mary, choose the better part and not be so busy about the details of hospitality that we neglect to sit at Jesus' feet and listen to His words. [See Lk 10:38-42]
And let’s pray that the Holy Spirit inspire us and fill us with joy and the boldness we need to proclaim the message of the Lord's visitation and redemption to all we encounter this day.
St. Peter reminded the first Christians, that we all possess God’s prophetic message. We should, Peter said, keep our attention fixed on it, “as you would on a lamp shining in a dark place until the first streaks of dawn appear and the morning star rises in your hearts." [2 Pet 1:19]
Come, Lord Jesus!
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