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GOSPEL: Luke 1:39-45:
“Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste…”
THEME: When we encounter the love of God, what really matters is how we respond
An elderly Russian monk, a spiritual father, was in charge of the novices within his monastery, which meant he was responsible for the “monks in training.” One day he asked his novices, “What is the most important part of the liturgy?” One replied, “It is the Liturgy of the Word where we are fed by the Word of God.” Another replied, “Surely, it is the consecration which is the highpoint of the liturgy.” A third answered, “It is when we receive the Eucharist, because we are thus transformed.” The elderly Russian monk patiently smiled, pointed to the door of the church, and said, “The most important part of the liturgy is what happens when you leave.”
When we encounter the love of God, what really matters is how we respond.
In our Gospel today, we hear of Mary’s second response to her encounter with God through the Archangel Gabriel. In the verse from Luke immediately prior to this passage Mary assents to becoming the Mother of God: “Be it done to me according to your word.” Now, her second response is to visit her cousin Elizabeth to be of service to her in the final months of her pregnancy. Mary has encountered God and is willing to share. As Ephrem the Syrian writes: “Through the fruit of Mary’s womb, all of creation is vivified.” Creation is given life. It is brightened. It is enhanced, exemplified by the baby leaping in
Elizabeth’s womb.
As a Church, we are preparing to commemorate God’s great encounter with humanity: the incarnation, the Word made flesh. “For God so loved the world that he gave us his only son, that whoever believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). We all have heard this verse – we know because we often see people at major sporting events holding signs referring to “John 3:16.” However, to truly appreciate the gift which we will be remembering and to truly understand Ephrem’s comment about vivification, about bringing life, I think we need to consider the incarnation one step further.
Yes, God’s son came as one of us. However, it goes even deeper. God loved us so much and desired so much that we become partakers of His very nature that He not only sent his son, but He combined His own divine nature with ours through his son. Jesus is fully God and fully human – God irreversibly combined himself with us. Thus, the fruit of Mary’s womb – Jesus – indeed re-vivified humanity. It re-dignified humanity in a way that had been lost through the Fall. We who are made in the image of God can once again partake of the likeness of God because of His Son. So, we were vivified, dignified, and even divinized by this great act of the incarnation.
The significance of the incarnation is that no one should ever be led to believe that a God who is willing to so intimately join himself with us does not love us or that He would ever abandon us. He is joined with us through His son – all of humanity is precious in His sight.
During this great season of joy, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that so many in our midst have lost hope, have lost the feeling of life or a sense of dignity. It is always amazing to me how many succumb to despair during the holiday season when there should be such a profound sense of joy. Perhaps we have lost our sense of the true meaning of the season. Accordingly, people need to be reminded of the message of the incarnation: they need to be re-vivified and reminded of their dignity because of a God who loves us so much. Nothing precludes the love of God: abundance or poverty, joy or grief, employed or unemployed, documented or undocumented, healthy or sick, saint or sinner – nothing can strip away the love God has for us. Paul asks the same question in his letter to the Romans: What can separate us from the love of Christ: anguish, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, or the sword?” And he concludes by saying that nothing can separate us from the love of God. Nothing.
I think at this time of year –especially this year—many need to hear this message; may be people right here in our midst and certainly people outside. Like Mary in our Gospel today, we need to take our encounter with the love of God and re-vivify others.
Especially at this time of year, we have the opportunity to see the face of Christ in others and to bring the light of Christ to them. God chooses us and uses us. We should proceed in haste, motivated by our encounter with the love of God to share with others what we ourselves have received.
Recently, I received an email from a young lady who has come to our Between Jobs Ministry, lamenting that at this holiday season she did not have the means to do for others what she had previously done. Yet, her value is not based on the price of gifts that she can purchase or give. Her dignity is not stripped away because of her employment status. Despair is a demon that sucks life away from people. This is an example of a person in need of revivification – an encouraging word, an invitation to coffee – something to let her know she can still hold her head up and not hide away in shame.
So many have lost hope or their sense of dignity.
· Who do we know who needs re-vivification?
· Who will we encounter today who needs to experience the love of God – even if it is through a simple gesture?
· How will we, who have encountered Christ in our midst, choose to respond?
· In our busyness of the season, will we walk past Christ silently crying for help and not even recognize him?
Let us who are fed and nourished by the Word and Eucharist, who are transformed by our encounter with the love of God, accept our mission to be sent forth to bear witness to others. Let us remember the observation of the Russian monk: The most important part of our liturgical celebration is what happens when we leave. We need to re-vivify and bring life to those who need to be reminded of God’s great love for humanity – a God who is intimately connected with us and will never abandon us.
During this final week of preparation, may we like Mary take time to share from what we have received in here with others.
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