Homily: Thursday of the Third Week of Advent

Homily: Thursday of the Third Week of Advent (Lk. 1:39-45) “Seeking Understanding”

The Blessed Virgin Mary was not like teenagers that you might find today. When she hears of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, she rushes out of town to see her cousin. Two reasons have been given for her behavior.

One idea is that Mary had a natural curiosity, so she wanted to go to see if what she had been told was true. This behavior carried over into the rest of her life. She seemed to follow Jesus wherever he went in his ministry until finally she ended up at the foot of the cross and in the upper room at Pentecost.

Another theory about Mary’s quick visit to Elizabeth is that she was concerned about her cousin. She wanted to be of help. This was the time before doctors who specialized in delivering babies. Women would support each other and pool their knowledge. Usually, an older woman would be the midwife, but everyone’s help was needed. Mary’s compassion is revealed in this little story.

We could say that Elizabeth and Mary were soulmates. Both knew that the children that they were carrying had special missions in the world. We might say that they shared the same secret.

The men involved, Zechariah and Joseph were not enthusiastic about these pregnancies. Joseph was not sure if he could believe Mary’s fantastic story. How could one become pregnant without another man being involved? When the angel came to him in a dream, he changed his mind about what was happening.

Zechariah came to understand over the course of nine months of silence. He was unable to talk. He could only listen. When he listened, he grew in understanding.

Mary and Elizabeth are believers who have a deep trust in divine providence. How often we make life complicated. We want to know all the answers right away. Mary and Elizabeth let things unfold and marveled at what God did.

1.    Am I a person that wants to only invest in a sure thing? Why am I that way?

2.   Do I think of Mary as impetuous? Is that a bad thing?

 Dear Parishioners,

           Christmas falls on Monday this year. This always creates a lot of confusion. Some Catholics will ask if the Sunday night Masses this week fulfill two obligations (for Sunday and Christmas). The answer is no. The Saturday evening and Sunday morning Masses fulfill the Sunday obligation. The Sunday night and Monday Masses fulfill the Christmas obligation.

          Each liturgy of Christmas has its own unique flavor. We have different readings and different liturgical texts for the vigil Mass, the Mass at Midnight, the Mass at dawn and the Mass of Christmas day. These liturgies are truly unique. Attending more than one Mass would be a rich spiritual experience.

          We ask our Lady to Praver for peace as Christmas approaches,

          Fr. Mark