Micah 5.1-4/ Psalm /Hebrews 10.5-1/ Luke 1.39-44
Meditating on the mysteries stated in the Holy Rosary is perhaps one of the most effective way to bring to heart the truth of God's love for us. Praying the Holy Rosary is not just about asking the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary but contemplating on the life of Jesus on earth and His solidarity with the humanity. The summary of the mysteries presented in the Holy Rosary is God`s love.
Likewise, in the fourth Sunday of Advent we are all invited to outline our reflections and give a summary that expresses how far we have understood the great love of God through His Word becoming human.
It is very timely that the Gospel reading today talks about the account in which the second mystery of joy in the Holy Rosary states, the visitation of the Mary to Elizabeth. This visitation event is not just about Mary visiting Elizabeth but more importantly it is about baby Jesus in the womb of Mary inspiring people to respond to God`s call of evangelization.
Let us now turn to slowly understand in here our culture of visiting a relative or a neighbor, or a sick person. Perhaps, we can also find its (visitation) deeper meaning in the context of evangelization too. In our gospel today, Elizabeth upon hearing Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb. 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 . We must remember that after this visitation account long after was John the Baptist preparing the way of Jesus. Blessed is John the Baptist too receiving his vocation to serve.
There are many inspirations we can get out from the image of the baby Jesus in the manger. The child`s near future so to say will be like us in almost all aspects except in His “unfaded divinity” and in His freedom from sinfulness. We now understand that the birth of Jesus is the coming of God among us to show us the greatest love that can be shown in laying down of one’s life for one’s friends.
Let us further contemplate that the experience of Mary, and moreover that of Jesus is an unqualified and unconditional response to the same God who calls each one of us to say YES to Him every day. Indeed the real joy and happiness of Christmas lies in our “Yes” to Him.