Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I hope this Eucharist lifts us up and makes clear what the Lord wants us to do. He loves us so much that he does not want us to be exhausted, anxious or sad. The Sun of Justice rose this morning on a few inches of snow that were light as a feather and the Son brought warmth to me and the world. In this last week of Advent, we can live this joy in a different way. We are already at the gates of Christmas, which is a great joy for us.
Imagine Mary going to visit her cousin Elizabeth with this amazing joy. She must have been in some anguish also because it was not easy to travel in those days and she was pregnant. She would still be in wonder about how she got pregnant since she did not ‘know’ man and people might think she was an adulteress. Yet, there is a certain joy knowing that she had been chosen among so many to carry in her womb the Son of God. Her parents surely would have spoken to her about the coming of the Messiah and how this someday would happen. What an amazing joy she must have been living in those days.
On top of that there was another joy because she was going to visit her cousin Elizabeth who was called barren and was already six months pregnant. Her cousin had always asked God for a son to open her womb. So, when she heard that Elizabeth was pregnant, she went in haste. It is a special expression that the gospel uses. Mary gets up and sets off quickly. She is in a rush, and she eagerly goes to see her cousin but for what reason? It was not to gossip or to chit chat. She is full of grace and would not do what perhaps we would do. She went primarily to bring Jesus Christ to her. She goes in haste and brings this good news. She is the bearer of Good News!
This gospel has always been called the Visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth. But perhaps it is not an accurate name since the protagonist is not Mary; it is Jesus. Even Elizabeth asks something that is not precise. I don’t want to correct her, but she asks, “How is it that the mother of my Lord comes to me?” But she is actually visited by the Lord himself, whom Mary was carrying. It is necessary that Mary brings the Lord. It is the visitation of the Lord to Elizabeth and to John the Baptist: two cousins greet two cousins. It is wonderful!
The Lord comes to visit us today, yes, he comes to visit you and me through this word. He comes to visit us in the Eucharist, this banquet where the Lord will be present. Where the Lord comes down from heaven. He lowers himself and comes down to this altar. It is the same Christ that makes John the Baptist jump in the womb of his mother. He is here today. It is the same Christ, not another one. This is not a play, a show. He comes to see if you are happy. To be happy you need to have the Lord. He comes to give you a very good news: He loves you!
This is what makes us full of joy.
The only greeting of Jews is to say, ‘Shalom,’ Peace, be with you! This is the greeting. Nothing more than this. She doesn’t say, “How are you? What is going on?” She only says, Peace! Mary brings Christ which is such a mystery. Advent is not understood without Mary. It is necessary to enter this time of intimacy with Mary. She is in a hurry. Elizabeth doesn’t know that she is coming. She does not call her on the way. Mary takes the initiative and travels to the hill country, to the mountains of that region. Mary brings Jesus to this mountainous region and also to the mountains that you face today in your life. The things that you cannot accept that preoccupies you all day long. The things that blow your mind, that you cannot put up with. Perhaps in your marriage or in your loneliness or in your old age or in your sickness or in whatever you are suffering. Mary comes to that mountain and says, Peace be with you!
I hope that the child within you brings you joy. The child that was conceived in you in your baptism, in the faith that you received through the Church. I hope that you will be joyful so you can say like Elizabeth, Who am I? I am nobody and the Lord comes to visit me. I am nothing that Mary brings Jesus to me, who am I? Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. When God comes into our life he transforms it. Today your life can be transformed. Do you believe this or are you cynical? If you believe, blessed are you!
Blessed are you, Mary, blessed are you because you believed what the Lord told you would be fulfilled. Do you believe the Lord can change your life and make you a new man. He can make you patient, able to love, to be generous, chaste, holy. It doesn’t matter what you have done. God can do this because he is great, and he forgives everything. I hope he has come to you this Advent. He is passing by you even though there are things in your life you don’t like. But he allows everything in your life, everything, and they all work for the good of those who love him.
He loves you very much. He allows everything that has happened to you, even your sins and your weaknesses. All of it is for your good so that his glory can be seen in you and in me. We can be true Christians when we realize we need him. We need Mary to look at us with infinite love and come quickly to our life, bringing us Jesus Christ.
Let us pray to Mary for courage and ask her to bring Christ to us soon, quickly. We need him in our life. He is born in a manger that is full of crap, a pigsty. Let us wait with Mary to enter this cave where she will give birth to this child.