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Gospel Reflection: December 22, 2024 – Fourth Sunday of Advent

Fourth Sunday of Advent 

Gospel: Luke 1:39-45 

Have you ever noticed that we tend to mix and combine our scripture stories? We take a piece of one story and weave it into parts from another. That is precisely what we do for the Christmas narrative. We have spent the better part of Advent bouncing back and forth between Matthew and Luke, plucking pieces to create a story that doesn't exist as a stand-alone in either.  

For example, there is no visit from Gabriel to announce Mary as the chosen one in Matthew; we take that from Luke. But Luke never mentions Joseph's dream that convinces him to be the stand-up guy who takes pregnant Mary as his wife, defining his character for all generations. Mary's journey to visit Elizabeth and her beautiful prayer, the Magnificat, is only in Luke. The same goes for the reason for their journey to Bethlehem where Jesus is born; Luke explains it but in Matthew, they suddenly appear in Bethlehem for Jesus' birth with no explanation as to why or how. Shepherds? Only in Luke. Magi? Only in Matthew - which necessarily means that the Holy Family of Luke never flees to Egypt to escape the wrath of Herod. 

     So, as I read today's story of Mary's visit to Elizabeth, I started to wonder about questions that are never answered anywhere:  

• Did Mary tell Joseph about the angel's appearance before she left to visit Elizabeth? What did she tell her parents? How did she explain her need to visit Elizabeth? 

• Was one of the reasons for this visit to verify the angel's story? Was it to assure herself that what she thought she experienced actually DID happen?  

• What were the shared conversations between Mary and Elizabeth, two women intimately connected by a unique bond that no one else could ever understand?  

• What was the conversation between Mary and Joseph when she returned, three months later, her pregnancy no longer hidden? 

Of course, my mind takes me down numerous side streets as I ponder these and even more questions that no one else probably ever cared about, each one leading to yet one more query. In the end, only one thing really matters and that is the theme of the Fourth Week of Advent - LOVE. God loved Mary enough to trust her as the instrument of Christ's coming. Mary loved God enough to know it would all work out in the end. Joseph loved Mary and loved God enough to know he could put it all in God's hands. God loved you and me so much that he made sure the plan came together for our salvation. LOVE is a powerful thing. 

 Blessings,

Sister Danielle Jacob, CSFN