During the previous three Sundays of Advent, we have been encouraged to prepare for the coming of the Lord. The Scriptures have challenged us to stay awake and to be ready, to repent and to turn away from sin, and to rejoice with the knowledge that we are promised salvation! Today, on this Fourth Sunday of Advent, we reflect on the very humble situation into which our Savior would be born.
In today’s Gospel we are presented with an event from the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary called “the Visitation.” We know this involved the meeting of Mary with her cousin Elizabeth, both of whom had become pregnant after miraculous events. Mary of course would become the mother of Jesus, while Elizabeth was destined to be the mother of John the Baptist. These women were poor and humble, and would have seemed unlikely to become the mothers of such great men. But it was these very women who were to bring about the advent of the Christian faith–just think about how amazing and spectacular that truly was!
If we read a bit further into the chapter from Luke’s Gospel today, we hear the words of Mary as she said: “God has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the lowly” (see Luke 1:52). In today’s Gospel, Elizabeth says to Mary: “Blessed are you among women . . . how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (see Luke 1:43). I think it’s awesome that our Almighty God made these two “lowly” women the chosen “vessels” and mothers of Jesus and John. This is certainly an example of how God “lifted up the lowly” in order to bring about great things, and both Mary and Elizabeth acknowledged this with their own words.
It seems to me this idea of “lifting of the lowly” is a paradigm for an important concept anchored in our faith. That’s to say, God always desires to give strength to those who are weak. Our first reading today draws attention to this idea as well. The words of the Prophet Micah, written ages before the birth of Jesus, speak of the greatness that will come out of the very humble and seemingly insignificant town of Bethlehem. The Prophet wrote “You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah, too small to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel” (see Micah 5:1). Even Jesus the Christ, the Son of God and the Savior of the world, would have poor and humble beginnings as a child born among us!
As we contemplate today’s readings, may we be strengthened with the thought that whatever might otherwise make us “lowly” can surely be conquered by God’s power and love. Our God wants to lift us out of our weaknesses and he wants to give us whatever strength we need to overcome any obstacles to our true happiness and peace. And so, as we continue to contemplate the coming of the Lord Jesus, let us be confident and unafraid! Although we ourselves might be poor and humble, and perhaps we might even think ourselves to be insignificant in this world, we are actually called to greatness, and with God’s grace and power we too are called to do amazing things. Let us encourage each other with this message of hope!
Praise God! Friar Timothy
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