Message of Abbot Paul - Sunday 19th December

Message from Fr Paul for Sunday, 20th December 2021

           The last Sunday in Advent focusses on Our Lady and her pivotal role in the History of Salvation and the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. As in this liturgical year we are reading from Luke’s Gospel on Sundays, today’s short Gospel passage comes from his Infancy Narrative, (Lk 1: 39-45), and recounts the Visitation that Mary made to Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist. Here is the text:

“Mary set out and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, ‘Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’”

           Mary was already carrying her child in her womb when she set off from Nazareth for the long walk to the hill country of Judah. Knowing that her elderly relative Elizabeth was close to giving birth, she went as quickly as she could. We note how her exquisite generosity and gentle loving kindness reflect the heart of God himself, God who is now incarnate within her. She is a tabernacle of the living God, and this John the Baptist in Elizabeth’s womb acknowledges as soon as she comes in sight at the end of her journey. There is an encounter between two mothers to be and between the infants in their wombs. Jesus is already an active Saviour, as John leaps for joy while his mother is filled with the Holy Spirit. Inspired in this way, she speaks God’s word in a prophetic manner and proclaims to the world in a loud voice: “Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.” Elizabeth recognises the babe in Mary’s womb to be the Lord, the Kyrios, God. Twice Mary is called blessed. This is why we always refer to Mary as Our Lady or the Blessed Virgin Mary rather than simply St Mary. All this is the fruit of God’s merciful grace and love. Elizabeth emphasises the depth of Mary’s faith and trust in God that has made all this possible. When Mary said “Yes” to the angel Gabriel at the Annunciation, she said “Yes” for us all.

Let us pray today, as we prepare to celebrate the Nativity of Jesus, that our faith and trust in God’s word will grant us the grace of Christ being born in our hearts every day of our lives, as through Our Lady’s intercession, we ask for salvation and the gift of eternal life.