Christmas Encounter

Fourth Sunday of Advent
December 23-24, 2006
St. Andrew’s Parish
Saturday: 6:00-7:00 pm (Vigil Mass)
Sunday: 6:00-7:00 pm (Children’s Mass)
Mi 5:1-4a; Ps 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19; Heb 10:5-10; Lk 1:39-45 ”

This year my two eldest sisters both had their third child. My eldest sister gave birth to a baby girl last October and my other sister had a boy last July. I remember seeing them together both with big tummy was a great joy for our family. I remember I was also excited to see the new members of our family.

Each year the gospel passage for the Fourth Sunday of Advent is a story of Mary’s pregnancy, and for this year it is the visitation. We meditate on this story as the second joyful mystery of the rosary, so that this could be an opportunity to go into it deeper than we usually can in saying the rosary.

We have to pregnant women today – Mary and Elizabeth – they are not sisters; they are cousins. There were two extreme women one is young and a virgin; and the other is elderly, mature and a long time barren.

At the annunciation, Mary is told by the angel that her elderly cousin Elizabeth has conceived. Her faith was so strong that she believed immediately the message she of the angel. Sensitive to God’s will, Mary immediately leaves to visit Elizabeth in Judah who was already six month pregnant. It is a journey of about seventy miles, probably made on foot or a donkey. Mary’s own pregnancy did not stop her of traveling such a long distance. She is eager to see the God-given sign and certainly to help Elizabeth in all her needs.

When Elizabeth saw Mary, she was filled with the Holy Spirit and immediately recognized Mary as the mother of God. Elizabeth overlooked her own motherhood, she exclaimed with excitement: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”
Because of her Son Jesus, Mary is the greatest and holiest of all holy women. The deepest sentiments of her heart are always turned to God and completely centered in him. She knows nothing but God and his love; she wishes for nothing but for and his love; she seeks nothing but his holy will and his greatest honor.

The story of the Gospel today, the encounter between Mary and Elizabeth is story of sharing of joy and faith – an exchange of gifts. This is indeed the meaning of Christmas – a time of sharing, a time of self-giving, and an exchange of gift.

This is why I think we have K and K during Christmas, we exchange our gifts to one another as a sign of sharing the gifts we received from God. So we should try to give more than we receive.
At Christmas time we give new toys to the children, we share food with our family and friends, we send Christmas, e-cards, and so on. But the deepest, most personal, and most memorable gift we have to share with others this Christmas is our faith – our faith to the Child Jesus, who is born in this world to give us new life, new hope and joy. As the prophet Micah, in the first reading, prophecies a new beginning and a completely a new start of God’s reign, and he will come from a small town called Bethlehem. In the second reading, St. Paul’s letter to the Hebrew, defines Christ’s sacrifice as the offering of his in obedience to his Father that brought as new life and salvation.

Our challenge for us Christians today especially as we all celebrate Christmas which is really at hand, so close now, is to imitate the Blessed Mary, the mother of Jesus, that despite her pregnancy, she didn’t hesitate to share her blessings – the favour she received from God - to other people.

The greatest favour we received, through our baptism, Christ himself. Are we proud to profess our faith this Christmas? Let us evaluate of Christian faith this Christmas 2006. Let us proclaim to the world that only reason we celebrate Christmas – Christ himself. We don’t our birthday celebrant absent on his party.

So like Mary let set out in haste to proclaim of our faith.