Homily 4th Sunday Advent. Year C 23rd December, 2012.
“Blessed is she who believed the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.” (Luke 1:44).
This truly beautiful gospel passage today illustrates at least two important concepts…..
· the importance of giving thanks and
· naming blessings…..
this takes on particular significance in this year of Grace…. For Mary, as the beautiful “Hail Mary” prayer so wonderfully puts it, is “filled with grace.” Mary’s life, and Mary’s response to God’s action in her life, is the epitome of the perfect response of Faithful servant of God.
I recall a parable about a man who “wrote the hurts he received in the sand… but carved all the blessings he received in rock”… when he was asked why he did this he said…. it is so important to inscribe the hurts and wrongs in sand.. so that the winds of forgiveness and love can erase them after a time…. but it is so important to carve the blessings and graces in stone.. so they will serve as a constant reminder to us of all the things we are grateful for … and time, busyness, even misfortune and circumstance will be unable to erase those memories…. I have always been deeply impressed by the point of this parable….
I thought to myself… why do I suspect that for many of us, (myself included)… we might be tempted to do things the wrong way around…. writing the countless acts of kindness, love, generosity and grace on the shifting sand of our memories…. whilst carving hurts and grudges, memories of misfortunes and our sins and weaknesses (and the sins and weaknesses of others), on stone…….. and does it help? Not one bit!!
Elizabeth is an example of a faithful disciple of God who sees the graciousness and blessings happening around her and sings out loudly in praise of God, - in thanksgiving… - and she names the presence of God that she has experienced in and through Mary’s visit and her own child……. it is a truly inspiring moment….
The other thing that strikes me about this well-known passage is the importance of family, extended family…. and (for the many who do not have many family members, the community of support that is family to us… our parish, our friends, our colleagues…….)….
Mary must have been frightened and overcome by what she knew was happening to her…. Mary was more than surprised to be told she was to conceive and bear a son through the action of God. Others would not understanding this. Not everyone would be happy with this news. It caused Mary to ponder and to wonder. She would surely have known that not everyone would assume that the Holy Spirit was at work. Even her saintly fiancé Joseph, when he found out that Mary was expecting, was thrown into confusion and hurt….this was only natural – how COULD this have happened. Who was responsible for this??? If he were not an honourable man he might even have made a major case against his betrothed…. we are told that when he found out what was happening he was clearly hurt and confused, but he was extremely gracious and acted only with the interests of Mary at heart. He wanted to cause no harm or embarrassment or publicity. Joseph planned to divorce Mary without any fuss so as not to cause what he honestly believed was a scandal. This was before he found out the truth……that God was at work here……
Mary went to visit Elizabeth….. not so much a cousin.. probably more an aunt……. certainly a member of her extended family…… together, they meet and gain enormous support and comfort from each other……..
At Christmas time family reunions are not always delightful… sometimes there is conflict… sometimes family members have met up after not having seen each other for ages… and differences can become obvious.. causing tension……
That can be the risk if we try to cram all our family dealings into a few days once a year, rather than trying various ways of keeping contact and discussion going throughout the year….. but it is a challenge.
This weekend… as Advent comes to a close so quickly that the weekend almost immediately turns around into Christmas eve…. let us take some time to carve a few things in stone….. let us look back…… who are some of the people we need to give thanks for from this past year, (and all past years) …. Let us recall in our hearts the acts of kindness and love they have shown…. who are the people through whome we have experienced Christ’s graced presence and action….. Let us remember and give thanks for them in our hearts, minds..,. even our words …… and let us….
“Take time to be aware that in the very midst of our busy preparations for the celebration of Christ’s birth in ancient Bethlehem, Christ is reborn in the “Bethlehems” of our homes and daily lives. Take time, slow down, be still, be awake to the Divine Mystery that looks so common and so ordinary yet is wondrously present”. —Edward Hays
Let us seek out people who, like Elizabeth, have grateful hearts… who focus on the positives and do not dwell on negatives, getting us more and more upset and downcast…….
Let us be attentive to the ways in which God is present to us, in (and through) the people with whom we live, work and socialize…….
(From Fr. Paul, homily reflections. Taken from my collection, 2006).
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REFERENCES:
- FR. PAUL W. KELLY/ Prepare the word ministry resources.
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