Blessed Are You Who Believed
Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent
Piety
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! “For see, the winter is past, the rains are over and gone. (Song of Songs (2:8-11)
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? For at the moment, the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” (Luke 1:41-45)
Study
How can one week claim the right to celebrate three of the five Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary? Joy-filled this week is indeed.
In these final seven days before Christmas, our liturgy also includes the “O” antiphons. The seven “O Antiphons” (also called the “Greater Antiphons” or “Major Antiphons”) are prayers that come from the Breviary’s Vespers during the Octave before Christmas Eve. This pregnant week makes up the “Golden Nights” before Christmas and the “O Antiphons” give us the source of the Advent song “Veni, Veni Emmanuel” (“Come, O come Emmanuel”).
The antiphons beg God with mounting impatience to come and save His people. The order of the antiphons climbs climatically through our history of Redemption. As Elsa Chaney in Twelve Days of Christmas states, “They seem to sum up all our Advent longing as they paint in vivid terms the wretched condition of mankind and his need of a Savior.”[i]
O Radiant Dawn, the splendor of eternal light, the sun of justice: come and shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.
Today’s Visitation and antiphon help us remember Isaiah’s prophetic verses when talking about the King’s coming with the “Son of Justice:” He shall judge between the nations and set terms for many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again. (Isaiah 2:4)
This “king” is a boy-grown-up – alluded to in our readings in the baby boy dwelling and growing inside Mary as she greets her cousin Elizabeth.
Action
Looking around, we have many reasons to react to the Word more the way Zechariah did than the way Mary and Elizabeth reacted. Doubts and questions fill our divided minds and hearts. Although we sense the light at the end of the pandemic, before we get there, infections, hospitalizations and deaths are rising to unprecedented levels. These are the 20 days in the past 100 years when America saw the most deaths from a single catastrophe. Over half are in the past 2 weeks.[ii] Three exceed the Hurricane of 1928 and the September 11 attacks.
Through the accident of our birth in this place and time, we also are like King David -- living in a lovely, comfortable, warm house while the Lord is about to be born in a cold, dark cave and our neighbors die alone. Yet, based upon all the blessings we have, much is expected of us -- just like the Lord and the people expected much from David and Zechariah and Mary and Joseph.
Although we have many temptations to live out our will, what can you do today to emulate Zechariah and overcome your doubts? After all, just as Elizabeth asks, we echo, “How does this happen to me, that the Mother of my Lord shall visit us, too?”
Oh, what shall we make of this holiday almost upon us? Are we ready for the challenges it brings to our daily, distracted life?
What are we “O”verdoing this season with our spending and credit limits?
What are we Overeating at the endless holiday parties at work, at home, and in our neighborhoods?
Where are we, Overrun by crazy shoppers and drivers rushing to the mall, the theaters, and the parties?
Are we Overdue to slow down and get off our feet and rest?
Are we guilty of the Overuse of our credit limit in trying to meet the expectation of Black Friday and Cyber Monday and the three shopping days left until Christmas?
Have we Overbid for that gift we want on our favorite auction site or for that car that allegedly promises to make this month, the December to remember?
What sins of omission make the clouds of our pride Overcast the Holy Spirit coming upon us this season?
Look Overhead for the star in the East.
Be Overcome with awe.
Let the Spirit of the Lord Overshadow your desires.
Like Mary and Elizabeth, sing out with a sense of Overall joy at the message and the reality of this season.
Set out, like the shepherds and kings – trekking Overland so you can get a glimpse of the child.
In this baby, see how God has sent a tiny person who will grow up to fulfill an Oversized task and redeem us from our sins.
[ii] https://www.businessinsider.com/days-with-most-us-catastrophe-deaths-16-this-year-2020-12
Image credit: Jump For Joy by Corby Eisbacher
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