Blessed are you who believe

Fourth Sunday in Advent

Luke 1:39-45, (46-55)

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country,
where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy.

And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord."

Reflection: 

Do you believe what has been spoken to you throughout Advent? Get ready, each one of you. Look for the emergence of new hope, life, and love all around you.  After all, if something truly remarkable is breaking into what was previously hidden or darkened, we may need “another” to help us recognize the approaching light.  With our 21^st century technological sophistication we may doubt the miracles of God –they are unexpected and mysterious, and not always logical or in line with practical thinking. 

Mary received a double dose of affirmation and blessing from her cousin Elizabeth. The old woman, heavy with child, supported the young woman, newly in pregnant, by recognizing the mysterious beauty of what was unfolding. Furthermore, Elizabeth blessed Mary's abiding faith in the Lord, which Elizabeth knew was an imperative for the guidance and comfort Mary would need from that day forward.

When has somebody noticed something remarkable and mysterious unfolding within you? Perhaps it is a call to serve in a previously unexpected manner.  Perhaps it is the sprouting of a transformation--a recovery, or a move towards wholeness that was previously unimagined. God is always moving to flesh out His promises for wholeness and justice for all people.  God often takes some action within us and transforms us so that WE become living and breathing manifestations of His plan.

It may take somebody outside of our lives--a mentor, a spiritual companion, sometimes a total stranger or casual acquaintance... to recognize mysterious movements of growth that go unnoticed, discounted, or denied. We may suspect or dismiss initial spurts of possibility that seem unrealistic...unbelievable. Yet with a little encouragement the seemingly small movements may gain momentum and become a torrent of amazing action.

Prayer:  Stir up our hearts oh Lord.  Help us to see the growing Love and Light of Christ in ourselves and each other.            Amen