During those days, 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, "Most 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."
I have often wondered why the Angel Gabriel punished Zechariah for disbelief when Zechariah only asked him the same question Mary asked in the Annunciation, "How could this be?". Why was Mary not punished for disbelief? Probably, Zechariah's question had a hint of doubt while Mary was merely wondering about the message of the angel. After all, only God can discern the hearts of men.
"Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled," says Elizabeth in our Gospel today. Mary believed the message from God, even if it seemed impossible. Even if she would be in danger, as becoming pregnant before marriage would mean death through stoning, she trusted in God, knowing that God takes good care of His obedient children. Indeed, Mary was blessed because she believed. Yes, blessed are those who believe in God's promises. And blessed are we for we believe that Jesus will come.
Like Mary and Elizabeth, our faith enables us to realize that God's plan is unfolding. Our faith assures us that God came into this world as man to save us. This faith further tells us that this God who dwelt among us is, indeed, still with us, as He promised us, "Behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age" (Mt 28:20). Like Mary, our faith should give us the courage even when many dangers beset us; we should be courageous because God is with us.
Christmas is, of course, not only about faith. Christmas challenges us to make our faith incarnate, to make it concrete, visible through our actions. Like Mary, who believed the news of the angel and who immediately went to her cousin Elizabeth to share the news to her and to assist her in her pregnancy, we too are challenged to share the news that God is among His people, that God is working in our lives, that God was born on earth and is still here with us. For all we know, the people around us might not have had Jesus born in their hearts yet. God's gift to all of us is His own self. And, as people who have received God's gift of Himself, we ought to share Him to all who haven't received Him yet.
This Christmas, there is a greater need of taking on the challenge of sharing God's gift of Himself. As many were left without possession, without home and without family after the onslaught of typhoons in our country and after the horrors left by a massacre, many might not be able to hold on to their faith. Many might not be able to feel God's presence, much less realize that Jesus will be born in their hearts. We must make then remember that, in the first Christmas, Mary and Joseph also had nowhere to stay, nobody but each other and God to help them in their situation. Nevertheless, they had faith in God. And the joy they felt that night was not because of the luxuries of home and of the company of friends; their joy was from the child who lay in the manger, the little baby who is the incarnation of God's immense love for men. This Divine infant is the cause of our joy for this season. This is the good news we need to proclaim: God is still with us. We need only to have faith and to share the faith.
Despite the many reasons for us to grieve, the immensity of God's love made flesh gives us joy. God's love is enough to dispel all fear and all loneliness. We need only to believe, like Mary who believed. And as we rejoice because of what God has done for us, we must pass the joy because God's gift of Himself is for all of us.
"Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled," says Elizabeth in our Gospel today. Mary believed the message from God, even if it seemed impossible. Even if she would be in danger, as becoming pregnant before marriage would mean death through stoning, she trusted in God, knowing that God takes good care of His obedient children. Indeed, Mary was blessed because she believed. Yes, blessed are those who believe in God's promises. And blessed are we for we believe that Jesus will come.
Like Mary and Elizabeth, our faith enables us to realize that God's plan is unfolding. Our faith assures us that God came into this world as man to save us. This faith further tells us that this God who dwelt among us is, indeed, still with us, as He promised us, "Behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age" (Mt 28:20). Like Mary, our faith should give us the courage even when many dangers beset us; we should be courageous because God is with us.
Christmas is, of course, not only about faith. Christmas challenges us to make our faith incarnate, to make it concrete, visible through our actions. Like Mary, who believed the news of the angel and who immediately went to her cousin Elizabeth to share the news to her and to assist her in her pregnancy, we too are challenged to share the news that God is among His people, that God is working in our lives, that God was born on earth and is still here with us. For all we know, the people around us might not have had Jesus born in their hearts yet. God's gift to all of us is His own self. And, as people who have received God's gift of Himself, we ought to share Him to all who haven't received Him yet.
This Christmas, there is a greater need of taking on the challenge of sharing God's gift of Himself. As many were left without possession, without home and without family after the onslaught of typhoons in our country and after the horrors left by a massacre, many might not be able to hold on to their faith. Many might not be able to feel God's presence, much less realize that Jesus will be born in their hearts. We must make then remember that, in the first Christmas, Mary and Joseph also had nowhere to stay, nobody but each other and God to help them in their situation. Nevertheless, they had faith in God. And the joy they felt that night was not because of the luxuries of home and of the company of friends; their joy was from the child who lay in the manger, the little baby who is the incarnation of God's immense love for men. This Divine infant is the cause of our joy for this season. This is the good news we need to proclaim: God is still with us. We need only to have faith and to share the faith.
Despite the many reasons for us to grieve, the immensity of God's love made flesh gives us joy. God's love is enough to dispel all fear and all loneliness. We need only to believe, like Mary who believed. And as we rejoice because of what God has done for us, we must pass the joy because God's gift of Himself is for all of us.
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Happy Christmas!
St. Conleth's Catholic Heritage Association (Ireland)