Reading I
Thus says the LORD:
You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah
too small to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel;
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient times.
Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time
when she who is to give birth has borne,
and the rest of his kindred shall return
to the children of Israel.
He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock
by the strength of the LORD,
in the majestic name of the LORD, his God;
and they shall remain, for now his greatness
shall reach to the ends of the earth;
he shall be peace.
Gospel
Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”
Reflection
On this final Sunday of Advent, we ponder Christ’s humble and astounding entry into the world. Last week, we modeled the joy of St. John the Baptist as he conveyed the truly good news of repentance. Today, we imitate St. John’s joy in the womb of his mother, St. Elizabeth. He leapt at the sound of Mary’s voice because Jesus was nearby, and we are called to that same exuberance.
Our first reading offers one of the many prophecies of Christ’s birth. God promised that the coming messiah would be in the Davidic line, housed in a clan so tiny that this translation calls it “too small to be among the clans of Judah.” Thus, Scripture hints at the seemingly insignificant origins of the great God-made-man. Yet, the same passage promises that “His greatness shall reach the ends of the earth.” Indeed, much of the joy of Christmas comes from the amazement we feel at this mysterious entry of Our glorious God into a tiny town called Bethlehem. How could such power make itself so minute, and for our sake?
So, in these last few days of Advent, we share in the joy and anticipation that Elizabeth and John the Baptist felt. I invite you to also offer prayers of gratitude and honor to our Holy Mother, who said “yes” to becoming the bearer of the Prince of Peace. As we reflect on her response of faith, we are invited to echo the words: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!”
Further, we are invited to emulate how humbled Elizabeth was by the proximity of Mary’s blessedness and the Savior whom she bore. We too, knowing that the greatness of Jesus surpasses all earthly bounds, receive Him in the humble Host of the Eucharist. We too are part of the humanity that Our God joined and saved. So, as we sense Christ’s impending arrival—both on Christmas and in every Mass—we can leap like the baby John and cry out like Elizabeth with child: “How does this happen to me?”
Please be assured of my prayers for you before Our Lord, present in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
+ Bishop Schlert
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