16, 1994 The Message -- for Catholics of Southwestern Indiana 9
"- Commentary-
Mary visits Elizabeth: Confirmation of a message
GOspel commentary for De. l southern Palestine.
:efbe, r 18,1994, Fourth Sunday : i In scene two there is a strong
• auvent, Cycle C, Luke 1:39.45. 1 : i contrast to the elderly couple.
The- . . I .... i Here Luke introduces a young
. scene Luke the artist • couple engaged to be married. The
Paints in today's gospel reading is i settin is in northern Palestine,
own.to us as the Visitation. The ] 1 Nazareth of Galilee. The names of
, atlon is part of what is called [ L::4J m the counle" Mary and Joseph
pthoeJnfaacy Gospel." Earlier V 1 Mary isfgranteda vision, just as
" mraations, including the [] Zechariah was The heavenly visi-
.OSpel of Mark, had begun with a i tor asks consent of Mar to be-
heecpt! on of the ministry of John B-, FATHER I come the natural moth:r of a
• pust tollowed by the public DI DILGER [] child to be named Jesus. The
h: of Jesus. As time went on COLUMNIST i child would only seem to be the
0us d:s would have been curl- m son of Joseph, but would actually
lic life o arwh-at preceded the pub- be Son of God. Like Zechariah
tions w,°t J°hn the Baptist and of Jesus. Ques- Mary asks for some evidence, a sign. Zechariah
Jesu re asked about the origin of John and had'been punished for asking for a sign, though
thes:qUK e attempts to supply some answers to he got one. Mary, too, is given a sign but without
Ui nlons, penalty. The sign will be that Elizabeth, a rela-
j^t ag various traditions about the origins of +;-0 fMar- ha become re nant in her old a e
• unnandJ ........ .... o j, ,p g g .
hYran , -ou, perhaps some early Christian If that is possible, then what the angel asks of'
Weav:s ogether with Old Testament stories, Luke Mary must also be possible. Mary consents to the
raeraor:h ese SOurces into the most beautiful and proposal. Luke intends this to be an act of faith
with thT:e, st°nes of Christian origins. He began in God on the part of Mary.
0fa- ,- ungln of John the Baptist It was a story Next Luke has to brin the two stories the
hadvLerly couple who had longed for a child but two women, and the two stings together. 1arv
Ple " tt up because of their age. The elderly cou- visits her elderly and now pregnant cousin Eliza-
re naraed Elizabeth and Zechariah. The story beth As Mary enters Elizabeth's house, Eliza-
of a similar story about Abraham and beth is filled with the Holy Spirit, a typical Lucan
lly messenger promises both cou- touch. The baby within her leaps for joy. Eliza-
they would have a son. Luke s first story beth greets Mary with a prayer so often repeated
the elderly Elizabeth becoming pregnant, by us today: "Blessed are you among women and
Is SCene one and takes place in Judea, in blessed is the fruit of your womb!" Elizabeth has
become a prophetess, that is one who speaks a con-
firmation of what had already taken place in Mary.
She speaks the word of God moved by the Spirit of
God as any Old Testament prophet. Mary is called,
"Mother of my Lord," that is of my God. It was not
the Catholic Church that first bestowed the title
"Mother of God" on MAD'. It was Luke. Elizabeth
pronounces Mary. blessed by God above all other
women, a blessing arising not only from her mother-
hood of the Son of God, but even more so because of
Mary's act of faith in consenting beyond understand-
ing to the divine plan. And so, Elizabeth's final
words in this scene: "Blessed is she who has believed
that there would be fulfillment of the what was spo-
ken to her by the Lord." Scene three continues with
Mary's response to Elizabeth, but that's a story for
another time.
What can be our response to this gospel? Mary
and Elizabeth are both portrayed by Luke as people
of faith. Both women believed that God would bring
about something that was humanly impossible.
Faith implies a trust in God because He has shown
himself worthy of" trust. Faith is reaching into dark-
hess without knowing what all the consequences
might be. The characters portrayed in Luke's gospel
are always meant by him to be examples for us. On
this fourth Sunday of Advent we reach into the dark-
ness. We put our hands into God's hands and believe
that as he filled Elizabeth with his Holy Spirit with
job' at the presence of Jesus, so he will fill us with
that same Spirit of joy to prepare for that new birth
of his Son within us on Christmas Day.
Readings: Micah 5:1-4; Hebrews 10:510.
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III I IIIII III II II II I[ Iltll II
