This weekend begins the season of Advent and opens the new liturgical year. This year on most Sundays, we will hear the gospel of Luke. Along with the gospel of Matthew, these two gospels provide most of the source material for telling the story of the birth of Christ including the events surrounding the mission of John the Baptist, the conception of Jesus, the motherhood of Mary, the birth of Jesus and the immediate events surrounding His birth.
The First Sunday of Advent always places the idea of “preparation” before us. For many of us, preparation is challenged because of the pandemic. Some still do not feel safe at church and others have tired of livestream recordings. This is not how we imagine celebrating Advent and Christmas! As we reflect on the story of Mary’s preparation for the miraculous conception and pending birth of her Son, we see a similar perspective. Mary immediately sets out on a difficult journey to the hill country surrounding Jerusalem. It is there that she will encounter her cousin Elizabeth who has also miraculously conceived John the Baptist. Elizabeth and Mary will receive confirmation regarding the extraordinary message they each received from Gabriel, the Archangel.
Do we ever realize that every time we alter our routine and celebrate Eucharist, even virtually, we are doing the exact same thing Mary and Elizabeth were doing two thousand years ago? The historical events surrounding the conception and birth of Jesus are mystically recalled and made present every time in the consecration of the Eucharist. In the beautiful first Eucharistic prayer, the Roman Canon, the priest prays aloud that the angel takes this sacrifice to heaven. Eucharist is always a convergence of the divine and the human, the eternal and the present. We should prepare our hearts and minds the same way Mary and Elizabeth did every time we prepare to offer the Eucharist.
Our recent Advent and Christmas seasons are not like we remember they used to be. There is hopeful news in the widespread availability of vaccines, even for children over the age of five. We have completed a fourth wave of infections and now they are subsiding. Much like Mary and Elizabeth, Advent bids us to wait in “joyful hope” –the true meaning of Christmas. Fr. Gary
