by Fr. Jose “Joesum” Sumampong, Jr.
December 19, 2021
Fourth Sunday of Advent (Year C)
Micah 5: 1-4 / Psalm 80: 2 – 3, 15 – 16, 18 – 19 /
Hebrews 10: 5 – 10 / Luke 1: 39 – 45
THE LESSON OF THE VISITATION
Word: During this season of Advent, guided by the gospel according to St. Luke, we journey back into time. On the First Sunday, we were asked to raise our heads before the Christ of Glory coming on the clouds o heaven — the Paschal Christ of TODAY and of the end of times. On the Second and the Third Sundays, St. Luke took us two thousand years back, to the days when the preaching of John the Baptist was preparing the public ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. Now, on this Fourth Sunday of Advent, we travel thirty more years back, to the time when this same Jesus was but a small embryo hidden in the womb of a young girl, Mary.
During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah… (Lk 1:39). Her Hebrew name was Myriam, which probably means “princess” or “lady”. The text tells us that she “went with haste”, immediately after the declaration by the angel, so to say! Such a quick reaction is a sign. Immediately, Mary sets out. We can imagine her, filled with fervent and youthful spirit.
She has to journey 150 kilometers on foot, — no cars, no trains! She goes through Jerusalem. Since Elizabeth is only in her sixth month we might wonder at Mary’s haste. Why? Does Mary needs the comfort of one who, for many years of childlessness, has also needed to trust in God? Does Mary need the reassurance of seeing Elizabeth’s miracle for herself?
But this journey is no mere geographical change of place. It is a sign too. It inaugurates the long series of journeys with which Luke fills his narratives, with a symbolic intention: the road is one of the places for Revelation and for the Mission. The Word of God went from heaven to Nazareth. It comes today from Nazareth to Jerusalem, like a prelude to “the great climb to Jerusalem” in which context Luke will narrate the end of the life of Jesus. And then, from Jerusalem, the Word will spread to Samaria, and to the ends of the world.
She entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth (Lk 1:40). The road followed by the Word of God is, at first, very intimate: “at home”, “within the family”, — here, between two cousins. This is how, usually, Faith is transmitted.
As for Zechariah, he is dumb! Because he did not have faith (Luke 1:20, 1:64). Poor Zechariah, during the three months (Luke 1:56) of their meeting, he will not be able to say a word to these two women. The women are speaking! For, the women were the first to have faith! The greeting of Mary was, “Shalom!”, that is, in her own language, “Peace!” or Good morning! Six months before, Elizabeth and Zechariah were a sad and old couple: they had no child (Luke 1:7). Mary knew this. She comes to congratulate her cousin and share in her joy.
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Order: When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb (Luke 1:7). Leaped with joy, “thrilled’ or “shook” in the womb, as the Greek text literally means. Paul says that Luke was a doctor (Colossians 4:14); no wonder that he was interested in this detail. Every woman who is a mother remembers the unforgettable minute when her child gave the first sign of its autonomy, when her child moved within her. John the Baptist begins his mission as prophet, as witness of Jesus Christ! He warns his mother of the tremendous Event that is being prepared.
Christmas is only few days away. During this fourth Sunday of Advent, our hearts are already beginning to fill up with joy. And the joy that fills them is the same joy that filled the heart of John the Baptist in today’s gospel reading.
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Realities: 1. The story is told of a pastor who was disturbed to see a shabby old man go into his church at noon every day and come out again after a few minutes. What could he be doing in such a short time? He told the caretaker to question the old man. After all, this could be dangerous, something could be stolen.
In reply to the caretaker’s question, the old man said, “I go to pray.” “Oh, come now,” said the caretaker, “you are never in church long enough to pray.”
“Well, you see,” said the shabby old man, “I cannot pray a long prayer. But every day at noon I just go in and say, ‘Jesus, it’s Jim.’ Then I wait a minute and come outside again. It’s just a little prayer, but I guess he hears me.”
Sometime later Jim was injured and hospitalized. He had a sunny influence on the whole ward. Grumblers turned cheerful, and laughter often rang out. “Jim,” said the nursing sister to him one day, “the men say you are responsible for this change in the ward. They say you are always happy.”
“Yes, you’re right, sister. I can’t help being happy. You see, my
daily visitor makes me very happy.”
“Your visitor?” the sister asked. She had never seen him get one.
“Your visitor? When does he come?”
“Every day,” he said, and the light in his eyes grew brighter. “Yes, every day at 12 0′ clock he comes and stands there at the foot of my bed. I see him and he smiles and says, “Jim, it’s Jesus.” (William Aitken, UNSTRUCTURED PRAYER)
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2. The story is told of a pastor who was disturbed to see a shabby old man go into his church at noon every day and come out again after a few minutes. What could he be doing in such a short time? He told the caretaker to question the old man. After all, this could be dangerous, something could be stolen.
In reply to the caretaker’s question, the old man said, “I go to pray.” “Oh, come now,” said the caretaker, “you are never in church long enough to pray.”
“Well, you see,” said the shabby old man, “I cannot pray a long prayer. But every day at noon I just go in and say, ‘Jesus, it’s Jim.’ Then I wait a minute and come outside again. It’s just a little prayer, but I guess he hears me.”
Sometime later Jim was injured and hospitalized. He had a sunny influence on the whole ward. Grumblers turned cheerful, and laughter often rang out. “Jim,” said the nursing sister to him one day, “the men say you are responsible for this change in the ward. They say you are always happy.”
“Yes, you’re right, sister. I can’t help being happy. You see, my
daily visitor makes me very happy.”
“Your visitor?” the sister asked. She had never seen him get one.
“Your visitor? When does he come?”
“Every day,” he said, and the light in his eyes grew brighter. “Yes, every day at 12 0′ clock he comes and stands there at the foot of my bed. I see him and he smiles and says, “Jim, it’s Jesus.” (William Aitken, UNSTRUCTURED PRAYER)
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3. It was the second day after Christmas vacation. Sister Rita told her 21 second graders, “Tomorrow we will visit the crib in church. How about everyone bringing some little gift for the Infant Jesus? Nothing expensive, nothing big. Just bring it along in a plastic bag so others won’t see it until Jesus sees it first in the crib.”
Tomorrow came. Twenty-one little hearts were beating faster than usual as they took turns placing their gift at the crib. There were candy, a whistle, a toy car, some fruit, a little computer, and a tin of mixed vegetables.
But most outstanding was a little statue of Christ the King. Sister found out that it was Billy’s gift and so she asked him, “Why did you bring that gift, Billy?”
And he said, “I just wanted to show Jesus what he would look like when he grew up.” (Arthur Tonne, CHILDREN SEEING CHRISTMAS)
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4 There’s a famous old hymn of John Peterson. It describe the joy of heaven. A portion of the lyrics reads: “Over the sunset mountains, Heavens await for me; Over the sunset mountains, Jesus my Savior I’ll see.” When Peterson tried to market the hymn, the publishers told him to take Jesus out of the fourth line and expand the idea of heaven, using ordinary images to illustrate what its joy will be like. Peterson refused, saying the joy of heavens consists in the presence of Jesus.
“If you take Jesus away from heavens,” he said, “you take away the joy of heavens.” You take away the joy that made John the Baptist jump in his mother’s womb.
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5. There is an old church in Sweden that is historically important for several reasons, but the thing that strikes the visitor most is the life-size crucifix on the backwall of the church. It hangs directly opposite the pulpit, where the preacher can see it, but where the people cannot. When the guide is asked why the crucifix is hidden like this, he usually tells the following story.
One Sunday, King Charles XII made an unexpected visit to the church. When the preacher saw the king come in, he threw away his prepared sermon and spent the time talking about the king’s virtues and how much he was doing for his people.
A few days later, the crucifix arrived at the church as a gift from the king. Along with it came a letter in which the king ordered that the crucifix be placed on the wall opposite the pulpit, so that from that time on, anyone who mounted that pulpit to preach, would be reminded of the one he was supposed to be talking about. (Jack McArdle, CHRISTIANITY IS ABOUT A PERSON: JESUS CHRIST)
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Direction: Holy Mary, visit our hearts today and bring us Christ. May we never leave your side, O Holy Mother, for we know that then we shall always be in touch with our Lord Jesus.
Like John the Baptist in his mother’s womb, may we jump for joy in anticipation of the birth of Jesus. Amen.