Jesus is the one who makes God known.  And this God chooses the small things and folks, so that all glory may just be his. 

He chooses Bethlehem-Ephrathah and Galilee, Nazareth, in concrete.  And we read that Bethlehem is too small to be a clan of Judah.  Galilee, for its part, counts little in the eyes of those who know the Scriptures.  For no prophet comes from there.  And there is doubt that a good thing can come out of Nazareth.  Yet God uses, yes, small things, such places, to do great things.

And Elizabeth, barren and old, and Mary, the Lord’s lowly and simple handmaid, serve his purposes, too.  No, he does not choose a high priest or the wisest or most learned of all the scribes and the Pharisees. 

Of course, these religious leaders foster the best and the greatest religious ideals.  They set up also a structure of worship, rites, rules and norms.  They come up, besides, with lofty theories and deep ideas

Elizabeth and Mary, on the other hand, are women believers of simple and lively faith.  They greet each other.  For they wish each other the best as each of them waits for the birth of a son.  They also share each other’s joy.

No, they do not get lost in theories and analytical or dialectical notions.  We can bet that they also do the small things.  That is to say, the things that those who fix their gaze on the big things do not like to do.  To wash dishes, for instance, which those who want a revolution skip.

And as we do such small things, we do God’s will, no doubt.  We also get to know in our lives what the communion of saints means.  At the same time, we do our part in building up the body of Christ.

Lord Jesus Christ, help us to do the small things.  Use them to do great things for us to wonder about (see SV.EN XII:8).  And to make true the ideals and the systemic change we want to see.  Grant that these small things lead us to give up, in the end, our bodies and to shed our blood.  And let us give credit to your grace for all success (SV.EN VII:305).  After all, we count little, since we are weak (SV.EN IX:284).  And may we give you glory even just for a good word we say to one who is sick (SV.EN X:268). 

22 December 2024
4th Sunday of Advent (C)
Mic 5, 1-4a; Heb 10, 5-10; Lk 1, 39-45