Homily Fourth Monday of Advent (Lk. 1:39-45) “Mild or Feisty?”
Homily Fourth Monday of Advent (Lk. 1:39-45) “Mild or Feisty?”
“Sing of Mary meek and lowly.
Virgin Mother pure and mild.”
How often we have heard these words written by Roland Palmer.
Somehow songs penetrate our psyche. Many times, we need to go back and examine scripture. If we do, we may come to understand differently.
Mary might be described, not as meek mild, but as feisty and energetic. When we hear of Mary in the first few chapters of Luke, we are put in touch with a girl who seems to be courageous. She is like so many young people, she has high ideals. When the Angel Gabriel tells her, she is to be the mother of Jesus, she responds with generosity. She does not hesitate. An older person might have looked at everything that could go wrong and said no thank you.
We then hear how she rushes off to see her cousin Elizabeth who lives miles away. We have no sense that she was accompanied by anyone. She acts impetuously. That is not to say that she was wrong, but it is to say that she would not be held back from assisting Elizabeth.
At the end of the story, we read today is one of those surprise beatitudes we run across in scripture. The words challenge all of us in our Christian walk. “Blessed is she who trusted that the words of the Lord would be fulfilled.”
We are left to wonder, once again, how much we trust in the word of the Lord. How quickly we can lose heart. How fast we can be frozen in disbelief. Mary acted with conviction. Her first inclination was to trust in the Lord.
Reflection Questions:
- What are the qualities that I attribute to the Blessed Virgin Mary? Where did I learn about her?
- When is the last time that I made a leap of faith? How did it turn out?
Dear Parishioners,
Remember that on Tuesday and Wednesday night we will be celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. You can enter the church by the front door. Please wear a mask and keep socially distant from others.
Tomorrow night we will be having the last talk in our Advent series, “Prepare Ye the Way.” I will be talking about letting go of guilt and making amends. The talk will begin at 7 p.m.
I would like to thank Sandy Madison and all those who decorated the church. It was more complex this year as we tried to only have a few decorators at a time to avoid any COVID problems. They did a good job in a tough situation.
May Our Lady and All the Angels and Saints watch over us today.
Fr. Mark