Mary The Woman of Advent!

 (Homily for the 4^th Sunday of Advent Yr. C)

     Today we enter the fourth and last week (or better the last day) of Advent, and as we draw closer to the event of Christ, the Advent lessons as replicated in the readings take us more than ever, to the brink of the mystery of Incarnation. The Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah, which culminate in the figure of John the Baptist, find their fulfillment in the event of Christ. A careful observation along our Advent journey reveals that there is a move from John the Baptist’s mission to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The thrust of today’s message is on God’s relationship with his people, orchestrated in the manifestation of God’s power through human weakness. Our God does not sit impassible on His throne of Omnipotence and Divinity; He comes to us through a downward mobility in and through His Son. And in turn man/woman is required to play his or her own part in this relationship. As a matter of fact, human relationship can be synthesized into relationships with God, with man and with the external reality that surrounds him. In our liturgy today, we are interested in the first two relationships (with God and with man). The readings indicated to us majorly the relationship between Jesus and Mary (Gospel); between Jesus and his Father (Second reading), between Jesus and John the Baptist in their mothers’ wombs. Again, there is the relationship of Mary and the Holy Spirit, with Elizabeth her cousin and above all with the Word of God (Gospel). The fundamental relationship of Jesus is with his Father. It is a filial relationship of obedience, as he echoed: “I have come to do your will O Lord” (Second reading). It is the obedience of a Son who desires to be acceptable in all to the Father. This filial obedience will arrive at its dramatic end with the sacrifice on the Cross. In the mysteries and events of the life of Jesus, the Birth (Incarnation) cannot be separated from the Passion, the Birth from the Resurrection. Bethlehem points to Golgotha.

     In the first reading (Mic. 5:2-5a) prophet Micah announced the coming of the Messiah, and he determined also the place of his birth (Bethlehem). He attributed to him the characteristics of a pastor and a guide. Jesus with and through His birth in Bethlehem realized this prophecy in its fullness. Just as it was the case with the reading from the prophecy of Zephaniah last Sunday, so it is with this reading from the prophecy of Micah, for this is the only time a passage from there is used in the Sunday lectionary. As such, we cannot but use the occasion to say few things about his prophetic ministry, Prophet Micah exercised his prophetic ministry in the southern kingdom of Judah, towards the end of the eighth century, and it was during the reigns of Ahaz and Hezekiah. He experienced a lot of national crises ranging from the destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel to the invasion of Judah by Assyria. However, he did not show much concern for these events, rather he was interested in the denunciation of Judah for its social injustice. Indeed, just like Zephaniah it was later edited and passages of positive promises were later added. As a matter of fact, the oracle concerning the birth of the Messiah at Bethlehem is part of the additions. It does appear the prophecy of Micah came towards the end of the exile, when the hope for the restoration of the Davidic monarchy was high. And the fulfillment of this prophecy is well orchestrated in the Gospel of Mathew (2:6), through the birth of Jesus. Prophet Micah prophesized about Bethlehem, that it will not be the smallest city of Judah, because therein will be born the ruler of Israel. And Jesus with the attitude of obedience to the history of salvation designed by the Father realizes this prophecy.

     The gesture of Mary in today’s Gospel (Lk. 1:39-45) is not just an act of courtesy, but of love. She visited Elizabeth, who was expecting a child (John the Baptist), and she stayed with her for three months, to be with her and to help her with the domestic chores. This visit of Mary to her was an episode replete with joy and exultation. As we were told, that as soon as she arrived the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leapt for joy. At that time Mary has already conceived Jesus and Elizabeth felt the presence and was sanctified. Elizabeth was illuminated by the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed: “Blessed are you of all women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb” (v.42). This expression is a compendium of the greatness of the Blessed Mother. Three times in this passage Mary is pronounced “blessed”, as a matter of fact, the second verse of the Magnificat is the scriptural ground for calling her the Blessed Virgin. Again two closely related reasons are given for the title “blessed” that Elizabeth gave to her: because of Mary’s faith (v.45) which is related to her obedience (Lk. 1:38) and the bearing of the Child Jesus (v.42). Be that as it may, Mary is blessed not based on who she was or is in herself, rather she is proclaimed blessed in relation with her obedience to the Incarnation event. Her importance is incumbent upon her faith and obedience which made the Incarnation humanly possible, and more still because she gave birth to the Child of Bethlehem, Child Jesus. On the other hand, Mary too exults with the canticle of magnificat, a hymn of praise and of gratitude to God for the wonders he has wrought. There, the presence of Jesus is a fount of joy for all, especially those who open their hearts to him (just as it was in the case of Elizabeth and Mary, even for John too). Indeed, advent and Christmas for us should signify this act of opening our hearts to Christ, removing all that may hinder his coming to and in us with His grace.

       In today’s gospel we see two women that are protagonists and first witnesses of the coming of the Savior. Both of them were in expectation of a child, but Mary the more, because she was expecting an extraordinary Child. Little wonder, she is the perfect icon of advent. In the Lucan account Elizabeth was pregnant of a son who is a fruit of divine promise, who was regarded to be barren, but God chose to bring the precursor of the Savior through the gratuitous gift of his power and of the Holy Spirit through her. Also Mary was carrying in her womb, the Son of God who was conceived by the Holy Spirit. In the case of Mary, she was God’s choice. The birth of Jesus by a Virgin, through the work of the Holy Spirit, is an evident sign of the absolute gratuitous nature of our salvation.

     The relationship between Jesus and Mary is an extraordinary relationship, for Jesus nourishes the faith of Mary, and at the same time, Jesus is nourished with her blood. The Gospel speaks of a mysterious relationship of Jesus, in the womb of Mary, with John the Baptist in the womb of Elizabeth. There are other two relationships of Mary that did not appear in the liturgical texts, but they are implicit: the relations with the Holy Spirit and with the Incarnate Word in her womb. Indeed, without these two relations we cannot explain the visit of Mary to Elizabeth. The intimate and personal relationship with the Holy Spirit made it possible for the Word of God to assume our human flesh in her womb. The relationship of Mary with the Word of God is extremely mysterious and delicate, mysterious because the fecundation was the work of God himself, delicate because she gives to God her flesh and blood, especially her love and the total gift of herself. The relationship of Mary with Elizabeth is that of service, she was moved by natural bond, but above all by the Spirit of God. Therefore, it is a natural movement and at the same time, the movement of the Spirit. In the song of the Magnificat, Mary echoes her song of joy and thanksgiving to the Father, for the marvels she carries in her womb, despite her nothingness and humility. Again, in Mary, the prophecy of Micah is fulfilled.

       Mary is our model this season: “Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord” (v.45), as Elizabeth exclaimed. The faith of Mary is demonstrated in her perfect disposition and total acceptance of the divine initiative and her cooperation with the work of salvation: “I am the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to your words” (Lk. 1:38). With the faith of Mary a new era was heralded in the Church and in the world. She welcomes and waits for the fulfillment of God’s Word, She is really a woman of Advent! From her womb she gave us the Messiah; she was the one that awaited for Him with profound intensity, and ardent desire. That is why the Second Vatican Council says of her: “She stands out among the poor and humble of the Lord, who confidently hope for and receive salvation from Him. With her the exalted daughter of Zion, and after a long expectation of the promise, the times are fulfilled” (LG. 55).

     The second reading (Heb. 10: 5-10) describes Christ’s sacrifice in terms of the offering of his body, in the obedience to the will of his Father. The letter to the Hebrews reveals the fundamental disposition of Jesus, in doing the Father’s will, starting from the first instant of his life till the Calvary experience. “When Christ came into the world, he said: You wanted no sacrifice or cereal offering, but you gave me a body. You took no pleasure in burnt offering or sacrifice of sin; then I said: Here I am, I am coming in the scroll of the book it is written of me, to do your will, God” (Heb. 10:5-7). As a matter of fact, this according to the author of the letter to Hebrews is the reason of the Incarnation. For Christ assumed the human body as an instrument to offer his perfect obedience to the Father on our behalf. This passage situates the incarnation well into the supreme goal: the atonement. Bethlehem points to Golgotha.

      Somehow like Mary, we await for the coming of the Savior, certainly, we do not live the advent experience with the mentality of the people of Old Testament. For the Savior has already come. The Savior has come, but the promises of God have not been fully fulfilled. The kingdom of justice and peace inaugurated by Jesus is still an ideal towards which we are looking forward to its complete realization. In that sense, we can say that Christ is still “the one who is to come” the Veniente, he is the one who is to be born in our hearts and in the world. As such, Mary becomes our model and a perfect icon for those who wait for and on their Lord. Mary conceived the Savior, but she could not contend the joy, so she set out to meet Elizabeth. Indeed, we may well posit that Mary took Jesus to the family of Elizabeth, because upon their arrival there was joy, even the little baby John in the womb leapt for joy.

     Mary is our model this season because she knows how to continue the process of Incarnation, of taking Jesus to others. This is the principle of incarnation, God going or coming towards man. We are called to cue in, in this principle by taking Jesus to people, especially to the poor and the weak. It is only through the process of this continuous incarnation that the Savior will be born in our hearts and in our world. Mary teaches us how to believe in the Word and promises of God without “ifs” and “buts”. According to Origin of Alexandra, the most beautiful image of a Christian is that of a pregnant woman, who is carrying a new life. It is not necessary that she speaks, her message is evident to all: two hearts are beating in her. Analogically, a Christian lives this experience, he carries within him or her a new life (the Child of Bethlehem), and therefore lives in a continuous expectation. Till today, God is still searching for new mothers to incarnate himself. Let us welcome Him as Mary did. May our Blessed Mother Mary teach us how to welcome the Savior in our lives as she did! Amen!!!

 (Fr. Vitus M. C. Unegbu, SC)