FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT
21 DECEMBER 2024
At
a basic level, Saint Luke’s account of the Visitation is an account of great
kindness. Mary arises in haste to travel
the ninety miles from Nazareth the hill country of Judah to be with her elderly
cousin, Elizabeth, who has conceived a child in her old age. In fact, there is a parish program called
“The Elizabeth Ministry” that invites parishioners to deliver food and other
acts of kindness to families who have experienced a pregnancy and who need
help. In return, Elizabeth gives Mary
the gift of hospitality. More than
likely that includes a welcome break from the gossip circle of Nazareth, where
tongues undoubtedly are wagging about this young woman who got pregnant before
marriage.
But this
account is about much more than human kindness.
In telling the story of the Visitation, Saint Luke is certainly aware of
its human dimensions. However, he
intends to convey a message that is much more profound. He knows the account of King David arising in
haste to go to the hill country of Judah.
The Ark of the Covenant had been stored there for three months. Born in Bethlehem, the insignificant village
described by Micah in today’s first reading, David brought the Ark of the
Covenant to Jerusalem. He danced for joy
in the presence of the Ark and loudly sang God’s praises.
That
passage from the Book of Samuel helps us to understand the profound
implications of what is happening in the Gospel. Mary is the new Ark of the Covenant. Her body does not contain the tablets of the
Covenant, but the Eternal Word of God.
Once she reaches the hills country of Judah and enters her cousin’s
house, the infant in her cousin’s womb leaps for joy. Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit and
sings the praises of the Lord for what he has done for her young cousin. She addresses Mary as the mother of my Lord, pointing
to the role of the child in Mary’s womb as the new David.
In time,
John the Baptist, Elizabeth’s son, will point away from himself and direct
people to see Mary’s son, Jesus of Nazareth, as the long-awaited Messiah. John will call his cousin the “Lamb of God,”
indicating the truth we heard from the Letter to the Hebrews. As the son of a priest, John would have known
the sacrifice of lambs in the temple.
People brought them to sacrifice, hoping that their offering would bring
union with God. Jesus will become the
Lamb of God when he will offer himself as sacrifice on the cross. What had been desired for centuries in the
physical temple in Jerusalem will be accomplished with his sacrificial death. In three days, the temple of his body will be
raised from the dead. His death and
resurrection will bring union with the Father.
This section of the Letter to the Hebrews helps us to understand the
reason for the Incarnation. Jesus had
come to destroy the power of sin and death and form us, his disciples, into a
living temple being built by the Holy Spirit.
This last
Sunday of Advent prepares us to celebrate the incredible Mystery of the Lord’s
First Coming at Christmas. By becoming
the Ark of the New Covenant, Mary has set the stage for the beginning of our
redemption and reconciliation. Born in
Bethlehem, “the house of bread,” Jesus will be laid in a manger, a trough for
feeding cattle. On Christmas, we will be
fed by the Bread of Life and nourished by his Precious Blood. We will become arks of the covenant, arising
in haste to bring the Good News of our salvation to those who need the Lord’s
presence in world desperate for peace and reconciliation.
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