Friday
Third Week of Advent
In today's readings we encounter a love song that speaks of so many relationships: God the Father with Mary, Mary with Jesus, Jesus with John the Baptist, Mary with Elizabeth, Elizabeth with Mary and Jesus and God the Father. Read the song but first imagine the two parties that share such a deep relationship.
Some men of prayer have written that the Visitation event is more about Jesus and John than about Mary and Elizabeth. Hmmm? You might think about this and let your spirit lead you in this instance. To each his/her own.
Likewise the Lucan infancy narrative is a mechanism for the writer to allow some foretelling of his own. Luke gives us a hint about what Jesus would be doing later in his life. In this Visitation event there is the characteristic Jesus will demonstrate throughout his public life -- service. Recall words Jesus will speak while preaching and teaching: "I have come to serve not to be served." Here Jesus comes to visit his cousin. He does not await John's visit to him later in their lives.
The present and power of the Holy Spirit is also evident in Luke's narrative. Consider the reaction of the four parties involved in this even: each of them is so excited by the visit of the two future Moms. Likewise the first to be born, John, leaped for joy when Jesus came near albeit still in his mother's womb.
In this hymn of love there is a gift for all of us. See that our Christian faith, our belief in Jesus Christ, in a God who serves before expecting any service, there is much more than mind-work. Rather there is the work of the heart, there is a life that is driven by love and intimacy for all our sisters and brothers.
