How Does This Happen to Me?

Wednesday of the Fourth Week in Advent

Hark! my lover–here he comes springing across the mountains, leaping across the hills. My lover is like a gazelle or a young stag. Here he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattices. My lover speaks; he says to me, “Arise, my beloved, my dove, my beautiful one, and come!  Song of Songs 2:8-10

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? Luke 1:41-43

Piety

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful and kindle in them the fire of Your love. Send forth Your spirit and they shall be created, And You shall renew the face of the earth. O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by that same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in Your consolations, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Study

Our Cursillo weekend experience and follow-up Group Reunions and more are punctuated with questions.

What is my Ideal?

What is the role of the Lay Person in the Church?

What is the Tripod?

What is the Fourth Day?

As we go through this journey encountering the Lord and each other, our questions help us to learn how to make sense of the experience.  Sometimes, we get answers.  Sometimes, we must rely on faith.  (And sometimes we get both or neither.)  In each of these “group Reunions,” the Cursillista reacts differently and the Lord responds in a unique way.

Is it any wonder that in the face of an angel from God or the real presence of the Son of God in Mary’s womb, that Zechariah, Mary, and Elizabeth all reacted to the experience a personal question?

As Zechariah found out about the role his son would play making a guiding our feet on the path to peace, he reacted with: “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.”

As Mary finds out she is with child, he reacts with: But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be since I have no relations with a man?” (Luke 1:34)

As Elizabeth is visited by Mary and the growing baby Jesus, she too reacts with a question: “How does this happen to me?”

Mary and Elizabeth are rewarded with answers because their questions are posed from a standpoint of belief.  Zechariah gets the Penance of temporarily mute because his question is posed from doubt.

Action

There are just four days until Christmas.  At that point, the angels will appear on high and proclaim that God is with us.  Will you react to this Good News from your beliefs or from your doubts?

What spiritual helps have brought you closer to Christ this week?

What have you studied to get to know Christ and His Mystical Body?

What apostolic success did the Lord accomplish through you?

With what apostolic disappointment did the Lord test you?

What were you closest moments with Christ?