December 20, 2015
4th Sunday of Advent
Today, 4th Sunday of Advent, the Church presents Mary of Nazareth as an Advent person to inspire us in our preparation to celebrate the birth of Jesus. St. Luke, the evangelist, highlights the role of Mary in his infancy narrative. (St. Matthew highlights the role of St. Joseph.) After the Annunciation, Mary hastens to Judaea to visit her kinswoman Elizabeth. Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit and with her baby stirring in her womb, greets Mary as “blessed†– both for being the mother of Jesus and for believing that what the Lord had said to her would be fulfilled. In emphasizing Mary as the mother of Jesus we may forget her critical role of being a true disciple. A disciple is one who listens, ponders, asks questions and says: “yes†to doing God’s will. Later in the Gospel according to St. Luke Jesus makes this point himself. “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.†(Luke 8:21) “Fortunate are those who hear the word of God and keep it.†(Luke 11:28) “Family†for Jesus is not determined by blood ties but by fidelity and service. This is beautifully exemplified in a woman who never had a baby but is known as a “mother†-- Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Pope Francis announced on Friday that Teresa will be canonized a saint next September during the Jubilee Year of Mercy. (A second miracle was certified through her intercession.) Like Mary, Teresa is a disciple. There is no better way for us to prepare for Christmas than by living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. By living the teaching of Jesus, we birth him in our hearts, family and society today.
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3rd Sunday of Advent
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Nativity of the Lord
