Jesus is the mighty Savior that God raises up for us.  Through him, God comes to visit us and set us free once and for all.  So, we jump for joy, and try to infect others.

The visit of the angel Gabriel is contagious.  For soon enough, Mary too has the urge to visit her relative Elizabeth.

But the account says nothing about the why of the visit.  Possibly, she wants to find out if it is true that Elizabeth is conceiving.  But then she has already said to the angel, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.  May it be done to me according to your word.”

One can also suppose that the reason for Mary’s visit is loving service.   That is to say, “the Virgin of the Visitation is the Virgin of Charity,” as a commentary says (Comentarios al Evangelio, Nº 11).  There is, however, no indication that Mary is still with Elizabeth at the time of John’s birth (Comentarios al Evangelio, Nº 3).  This means, then, that Mary is not there when Elizabeth needs her most (see The New Jerome Biblical Commentary [1990] 43:21).

So then, with regard to the why, suffice it to say that it is a matter of sharing.  It is because of Mary’s visit, says the cited commentary Nº 3, that each woman can share her joy with the other.  That is how the joy of each one of the mothers-to-be becomes complete and even more contagious.

Mary’s visit is crucial as small a thing as it may seem, consisting only in sharing one’s joy.

God finds worth in what is small in the eyes of the world.  From small Bethlehem-Ephrathah comes forth for the Lord the chief Shepherd.

God always blesses, besides, humble beginnings (SV.EN II:351).   And that is how things begin in nature, for one arrives to significant things from insignificant things, from roots to fruit (SV.EN V:219).  Little by little.  By doing God’s will in small matters, we prepare to do God’s will in greater ones.

Little things, like sharing our joy with each other, ready us for the work to bring about systemic change.  Without doing the little things that God shows us to do (SV.EN XII:82), there is no doing the bigger things.

And we will never repent radically, without devoting ourselves to the breaking of bread and to listening to God’s Word.  We will never be a community of one heart and mind, having everything in common.

Remember us, Lord Jesus, for the love you have for your people.  And visit us to bring us your salvation.

23 December 2018
Fourth Sunday of Advent (C)
Mich 5, 1-4a; Heb 10, 5-10; Lk 1, 39-45