Wednesday Dec 21st, 2016
The more we meditate on
Mary’s going in haste to visit Elizabeth, the more we understand the importance
of the incident for an understanding of Christian spirituality, which will
always be a spirituality of love manifesting itself in some form of
service. As soon as the Angel Gabriel
left her, Mary may indeed have taken herself to prayer to praise and thank God
for the great grace she had received. But if she did, her prayer soon led her
to leave in haste to go to Elizabeth, for the revelation of Elizabeth’s
pregnancy was part of the angel’s message, It is significant that Mary’s
Magnificat does not come to us as part of her personal and private prayer, but
only as part of her visit to Elizabeth where she shared Elizabeth’s joy and
shared her own joy with her kinswoman.
Luke gives no details about how a young woman could
suddenly undertake the long and hazardous journey from Nazareth in Galilee to
Elizabeth’s home in the hill country of Judea, for the story is not about
Mary’s achievement in making the journey but in the love and joy that animated
her. Whenever Mary is mentioned in the Gospels, the centre of attention is not
Mary herself but other people and their needs. Mary is entirely free from
self-centredness. To use Pope Francis’ word: Mary is entirely
non-self-referential. Everything points to her son, just as her son's whole
life pointed to God. Lord, teach us to serve others as eagerly as
Mary did.
REFLECTION
The readings in today's Mass are explosively joyous. The first reading is a
love song taken from the Song of Songs, which itself is a lyrical love poem, an
allegory describing the love God had for Israel and Israel for God. It's a
story of young love, as one commentator puts it, "a thrilling, absorbing,
ardent affection." It describes God's relationship with Israel in its
early days. It's a song of joy, the exuberant, exciting joy that characterizes
young love that fills to overflowing the hearts of young lovers.
Mary,
in today's Gospel, was probably still in awe because of what had happened to her. It was a joyous awe. Her
child was growing within her. Through this child something great was to happen
to her country. Her joy was about to bubble over in her great song of joy, her
Magnificat. Mary had to find someone
else she could share her joy with. Elizabeth was also miraculously pregnant.
Perhaps she'd be able to understand her. So Mary rushed off on a journey of
about 150 kilometers to bring her joy to her cousin and to ease the burden of
a Pregnancy her cousin's aging body was
carrying. Elizabeth greets Mary with a joyous embrace and a joyous stirring of
the baby in her womb. Part of Elizabeth's joy surely must have been the
knowledge that Mary's arrival would mean for her relief from many chores. Mary
would do the chores herself and allow Elizabeth the luxury of accepting the
growing weariness, as the burden in her womb grew heavier with each passing
day.
The
child, John - who later at the Jordan would preach the wrath of an angry God
and the terror of divine judgment and who would condemn both lowly and mighty -
leapt in his mother's womb for joy.
And our joy? Is our love of Jesus as exuberant as is
the joy of the young lovers in the Song of Songs, as the joy of Mary and
Elizabeth and John?
Wednesday December 21: Joyful
Anticipation of the Messiah
Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Ngày 21 tháng 12 .
Chuyến viếng thăm bà Elizabeth của Đức Maria trước khi Chúa Giêsu sinh ra có
gì là quan trọng? Ân sủng của Thiên Chúa, giống như những tin mừng xốt giẻo cần
phải được chia sẻ.
Đức Maria thể hiện trong hành động rất thực tế. Thiên Chúa
đã đến thăm Đức Maria. Vì thế, giờ đây, Đức Maria lại mang Chúa đến với người
bà con của mình đó là bà Elizabeth và Gioan đứa trẻ trong lòng bà. Món quà
Thiên Chúa trao ban thật vô giá, không
có giá trị và lợi nhuận cá nhân nhưng để chia sẻ, tự hiến và phục vụ.
Lời nói " Xin Vâng" cho một ân sủng tung mở cánh
cửa dẫn đến một kho đầy những hồng ân được đáp trả,
Trước hết là phúc lành của người mẹ già và sau đó là niềm vui nhảy mừng của đứa bé chưa sinh. Chuyến
thăm của Thiên Chúa được thừa nhận và được đón mừng hân hoan. Thiên Chúa đã viếng
thăm dân của người trong quá khứ và còn được tiếp tục đi vào cuộc sống của chúng ta. Mùa Vọng , Mùa của hy vọng vui mừng, Chúng ta
hãy mang Thiên Chúa đến cho những người cần được chúc phúc.
Lạy
Cha, xin khoả lấy hồn chúng con với ơn Chúa Thánh Tần, và ban cho chúng con
niềm vui mừng trong việc tìm kiếm Chúa một cách chân thành hơn, Xin cho long
tin của chúng con được phát triển và trưởng thành trong lời Hứa của Chúa, là
được thấy niềm hy vọng trong sự vui mừng của nước Trời, và tình yêu của chúng
con dành cho Chúa là tất cả những gì của chúng con.
Reflection on:
Luke 1:39-45
What is the significance of Mary's
visit to her cousin Elizabeth before the birth of Jesus? God's grace, like good
news, is something that must be shared. Mary demonstrates in practical action.
The Lord has visited her. So now she brings the Lord to her cousin Elizabeth
and the child John in her womb. God's gifts are not for personal price and
profit but for self- giving, sharing and service. Saying "Yes" to one
grace opens the door to a whole storehouse of graced responses, first the
elderly mother's blessing and then the unborn child's dance for joy. God's
visit is acknowledged and then celebrated. The God who has visited his people
in times past continues to come into our lives. Let us bring him to those who
need his blessing.
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