Experiencing the Possibility of the Impossible

 Fourth Sunday of Advent

Lectionary: 12

Ir-Raba’ Ħadd tal-Avvent

Reading 1  =  MIkea 5:1-4A

Thus says the LORD: 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; whose origin is from of old, from ancient times. Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time when she who is to give birth has borne, and the rest of his kindred shall return to the children of Israel. He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock by the strength of the LORD, in the majestic name of the LORD, his God; and they shall remain, for now his greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth; he shall be peace.

Qari I      =    mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta Mikea 5, 1-4a

Dan jgħid il-Mulej: “Int, Betlehem ta’ Efrata, ċkejkna fost il-familji ta’ Ġuda, minnek għad joħroġli dak li jkun prinċep f’Iżrael; hu għandu l-bidu tiegħu mill-qedem, sa minn dejjem ta’ dejjem. Għalhekk il-Mulej jitlaqhom sa meta teħles dik li hi fl-uġigħ tal-ħlas; imbagħad il-bqija ta’ ħutu jerġgħu lura fost ulied Iżrael. U hu joqgħod jirgħa l-merħla tiegħu bil-qawwa tal-Mulej, bil-glorja ta’ isem il-Mulej, Alla tiegħu. U huma jgħammru fiż-żgur, għax issa tkun kbira setgħetu, sa trufijiet l-art. U dan ikun is-sliem!”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm   =  PSalm 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19.

O shepherd of Israel, hearken,
from your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth.
Rouse your power,
and come to save us.

R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.

Once again, O LORD of hosts,
look down from heaven, and see;
take care of this vine,
and protect what your right hand has planted
the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.

May your help be with the man of your right hand,
with the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
Then we will no more withdraw from you;
give us new life, and we will call upon your name.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.

Salm Responsorjali   =   SALM 79 (80), 2aċ u 3b. 15-16. 18-19

R/. (4): Mulej, itfa’ fuqna d-dija ta’ wiċċek, u nkunu salvi

O Ragħaj ta’ Iżrael, agħti widen,

int li qiegħed fuq il-kerubini, iddi.

Qajjem il-qawwa tiegħek,

u ejja ħa ssalvana.   R/.

Erġa’ ejja, Alla tal-eżerċti;

ħares mis-sema, u ara,

u żur ’il din id-dielja.

Ħu ħsieb dak li ħawlet lemintek,

ir-rimja li int kabbart għalik.   R/.

Ħa tkun idek fuq il-bniedem ta’ lemintek,

fuq il-bniedem li int saħħaħt għalik.

Aħna ma nitbegħdux minnek;

roddilna l-ħajja, u aħna nsejħu ismek. R/.

Reading 2  =  HEBrews 10:5-10  

Brothers and sisters: When Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; in holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight. Then I said, 'As is written of me in the scroll, behold, I come to do your will, O God.'"  First he says, "Sacrifices and offerings, holocausts and sin offerings, you neither desired nor delighted in." These are offered according to the law. Then he says, :Behold, I come to do your will." He takes away the first to establish the second. By this "will," we have been consecrated  through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Qari II   =   mill-Ittra lil-Lhud 10, 5-10

Ħuti, Kristu meta daħal fid-dinja qal: “Sagrifiċċju u offerta int ma ridtx, imma ġisem int ħejjejt għalija; vittmi maħruqa u vittmi għad-dnubiet lilek ma għoġbukx. Jien imbagħad għedt: “Hawn jien, ġejt biex nagħmel ir-rieda tiegħek, O Alla, kif fil-ktieb hemm miktub fuqi”.“ L-ewwel qal: “Sagrifiċċji u offerti, vittmi maħruqa u vittmi għad-dnubiet, la ridthom u lanqas għoġbuk”, għalkemm dawn titlobhom il-Liġi. Imbagħad qal: “Hawn jien, ġejt biex nagħmel ir-rieda tiegħek”. B’hekk Alla neħħa s-sagrifiċċji tal-ewwel biex iqiegħed flokhom tat-tieni. Bis-saħħa ta’ din ir-rieda aħna konna mqaddsin, permezz tal-offerta tal-ġisem ta’ Ġesù Kristu magħmula darba għal dejjem. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel  =  LuKe 1:39-45                                                

Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb,  and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,  cried out in a loud voice and said,  "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me,  that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,  the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled."

Evanġelju     =   Qari skont San Luqa 1, 39-45

F’dawk il-ġranet Marija qamet u marret tħaffef lejn l-għoljiet, f’belt tal-Lhudija. Daħlet għand Żakkarija u sellmet lil Eliżabetta. Malli Eliżabetta semgħet lil Marija ssellmilha, it-tarbija qabżet fil-ġuf tagħha u Eliżabetta mtliet bl-Ispirtu s-Santu; u nfexxet f’għajta kbira u qalet: “Imbierka inti fost in-nisa, u mbierek il-frott tal-ġuf tiegħek! U minn fejn ġieni dan li omm il-Mulej tiegħi tiġi għandi? Għax ara, malli smajt f’widnejja leħen it-tislima tiegħek, it-tarbija li għandi fil-ġuf qabżet bil-ferħ. Iva, hienja dik li emmnet li jseħħ kulma bagħat jgħidilha l-Mulej”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Experiencing the Possibility of the Impossible

A reflection by Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB

The Infancy Narrative of Luke’s Gospel contains some of the most touching, well-known biblical scenes in the New Testament. Not only does the annunciation of the Baptist’s beginnings (1:5-24) precede that of Jesus (1:26-38), but the birth of John the Baptist (1:57-66) precedes Jesus’ birth (2:1-7).

The announcement to Mary of the birth of Jesus is parallel to the announcement to Zechariah of the birth of John. In both stories the angel Gabriel appears to the parent, who becomes troubled by the vision (Luke 1:11-12, 26-29), and is assured by the angel not to fear (Luke 1:13, 30). After the announcement is made (Luke 1:14-17, 31-33), the parent objects (Luke 1:18, 34), and a sign is given to confirm the announcement (Luke 1:20, 36). The particular focus of the announcement of the birth of Jesus is on his identity as Son of David (Luke 1:32-33) and Son of God (Luke 1:32, 35).

In the very personal scene of Mary’s visitation to Elizabeth (1:39-45), the Precursor and the Lord are both hidden from each other. Yet even before the two women embrace, John leaps for joy in his mother’s womb, having recognized the presence of the Lord and Messiah in the womb of Mary. Both births are hailed by two beautiful canticles: the Benedictus sung by Zechariah, father of the Baptist, at his son’s birth (1:68-79), and the Nunc Dimittis prayed by Simeon, the “righteous and devout” man in the Jerusalem Temple, as he takes the infant Jesus in his arms (2:22-35).

The two pregnant women of Sunday’s Advent Gospel, Mary and Elizabeth, recognized in each other signs from God. The angel Gabriel offered Mary a lesser parallel to her own virginal conception: “Know that Elizabeth your kinswoman has conceived a son in her old age; she who was thought to be barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:36). Elizabeth in her turn senses in the movement of the child in her womb upon hearing Mary’s voice that something extraordinary was happening. “Who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (1:43). Each woman experienced in herself the possibility of the impossible.

Trust in God       

The visitation of Mary to Elizabeth turned out to be a divine visitation, the Ark of God bringing not terror but blessing, as it did to the house of Obededom the Gittite (1 Samuel 6:9-11). Unlike Sarah, who had laughed at the notion that she could conceive and bear a child to Abraham in her old age (Genesis 18:12), and unlike Zechariah, her husband, who had been struck dumb for questioning God’s power in this matter (Luke 1:8-20), Elizabeth gives thanks to God and trusts in his providence: “So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit to take away my disgrace before others” (Luke 1:25). Mary, for her part, deserved to be acclaimed by Elizabeth as “she who trusted that the Lord’s words to her would be fulfilled” (1:45).

Although Mary is praised for being the Mother of the Lord and for her belief, she responds as a servant in a psalm of praise, the Magnificat. The Magnificat celebrates the wonders of God’s graciousness in the lives not only of these two Advent women but of all for whom “the Mighty One has done great things” (Luke 1:49).

There are two aspects to consider in Sunday’s Visitation scene. The first is that any element of personal agenda of Mary and Elizabeth is put aside. Both had good reason to be very preoccupied with their pregnancies and all that new life brings. Both women had a right to focus on themselves for a while as they made new and radical adjustments to their daily lives.

Mary reaches out to her kinswoman to help her and also to be helped by her. These two great biblical women consoled each other, shared their stories, and gave each other the gift of themselves in the midst of the new life they were experiencing: Elizabeth, after her long years of barrenness, finding herself suddenly pregnant and Mary, after her meeting with the heavenly messenger, in an “irregular” marriage situation and pregnancy.

The second point to consider is the speed of Mary’s reaction and movement. Luke tells us that she undertook “in haste” the long and perilous trek from Nazareth to a village in the hill country of Judea (1:39). She knew clearly what she wanted and did not allow anyone or anything to stop her.

In his commentary on Luke’s Gospel, St. Ambrose of Milan describes this haste with a difficult Latin phrase, nescit tarda molimina Spiritus Sancti gratia, which means, literally: "the grace of the Holy Spirit does not know delayed efforts."  Or we might express it better in English: "delayed efforts are foreign to the grace of the Holy Spirit." Mary’s free choice to move forward and outward reflects a decision taken deep within her heart followed by immediate action.

Procrastination

How many things exist in our lives that we dreamed of doing, should have done, and never did – letters that should have been written, dreams that should have been realized, gratitude that was not expressed, affection never shown, words that should have been spoken, etc.? Postponements and delays weigh heavily upon us, wear us down, and discourage us. They gnaw away at us. How aptly St. Ambrose described Mary’s haste: The Spirit completely possessed the Virgin Daughter of Nazareth and compelled her to act.

The story of the Visitation teaches us an important lesson: when Christ is growing inside of us, we will be led to people, places, and situations that we never dreamed of. We will bear words of consolation and hope that are not our own. In the very act of consoling others, we will be consoled. We will be at peace, recollected, because we know that however insignificant our life and issues seem to be, from them Christ is forming himself.

The women of today’s Gospel show us that it is possible to move beyond our own little personal agendas and engage in authentic ministry and service in the Church. Ministry and service are not simply doing things for others. Authentic Christian ministers and servants allow themselves to serve and be served, taught, cared for, consoled, and loved. Such moments liberate us and enable us to sing Magnificat along the journey, and celebrate the great things that God does for us and his people.

Consider these words of Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997):

In the mystery of the Annunciation and the Visitation, Mary is the very model of the life we should lead. First of all, she welcomed Jesus in her existence; then, she shared what she had received. Every time we receive Holy Communion, Jesus the Word becomes flesh in our life – gift of God who is at one and the same time beautiful, kind, unique.

Thus, the first Eucharist was such: Mary’s offering of her Son in her, in whom he had set up the first altar. Mary, the only one who could affirm with absolute confidence, ‘this is my body,’ from that first moment offered her own body, her strength, all her being, to form the Body of Christ.

//////////////// (The two above paintings are by Nathanael Theuma)