December 20th , 2009
The Visitation
For most of Advent, we have been anticipating the second coming of Christ. We long for him to come again now. But during these last days of Advent our attention turns to the first time Jesus came. The gospel for the fourth Sunday of Advent is the story of Mary visiting Elizabeth when she discovered that both were pregnant -- Elizabeth in her old age was going to give birth to John the Baptist and Mary was carrying the Son of God in her womb.
Let’s take a moment to look not at what was going on inside each of these women, but what was happening between them. Mary’s decision to visit Elizabeth was a most generous one. In those days travel was not easy -- imagine what it must have been like for Mary in her pregnancy to walk many miles up and down mountain roads to get to her cousin. No one would have faulted her for staying home. But her desire to share in the good news that both she and Elizabeth were undergoing meant that she went to visit.
Her example raises the question of what stops us from visiting well? Christmas is a time when we celebrate the coming of Jesus and we know that Jesus longs for his brothers and sisters (us) to live in peace with one another. Thus visiting at Christmas time is a sign of our love for our own family members. Yet Christmas visits through the land and in our own community sometimes go so badly, that except for the Christmas tree in the living room, one would hardly know it’s Christmas!!
First of all, some people refuse to visit. There was some hurt (real or imagined) that has festered over the years. Brothers and sisters, parents and children are estranged from one another and the devil has got us thinking that the other one is the evil one (e.g.“He/she started it!!”) So another Christmas will go by unreconciled.
Then there are the “visits from hell,” where family members use the “together time” to criticize, belittle and make non-verbal signs that they disapprove of one thing or another. There are rivalries for the grandchildren’s affection and the grandchildren don’t seem to have appreciation for the attempted affection. What starts out as a simple family gathering, becomes a time of hurt.
Let us invite Jesus to come with us this year as we visit. Remember, when we receive communion he is living inside of us.
Just like he was inside of Mary. That makes a difference.
