Blessed are You who Believed

12-19-2021Weekly ReflectionFr. Anthony Okolo, C.S.Sp

There are times in our journey of life that we have to trust in God’s word being fulfilled in our situation even when we do not know how that would come about. There are moments in our lives that when all that we need is simply to rely on God’s words to be accomplished in our lives even when it seems incomprehensible. This was the situation of Mary, a poor local girl who was told by the angel she would be the Mother of Jesus, the Mother of God. She believed those promises of God without any doubt that the words of God would be realized. It calls for a deeper reflection on how we ourselves trust in the power of the word of God to accomplish mighty deeds or what seems impossible in our own eyes. It was her belief that the words spoken to her by the angel would be fulfilled, that gave us Jesus Our Savior. The only thing that we should rely on is that God is faithful and does not change. He is trustworthy and His words are to be trusted even when it seems hard to understand. This is the example of what Mary’s action teaches us today.

The second message we get from today’s Gospel is the urgency with which Mary responded on hearing that Elizabeth was pregnant and in her sixth month. We were told that Mary set out and traveled the hill country in haste to a town in Judah to visit Elizabeth. Mary went because she knew that Elizabeth being in her old age would need help. Mary stayed three months with Elizabeth which means that she was with Elizabeth until Elizabeth delivered her baby. Mary’s example of putting others first is a cherished value that can be aspired to in our Christian journey. It is a challenge against self-centered ways of thinking and attitudes that aim towards selfless attitude. Mary has given us that example in today’s reading and allowing Mary’s example to guide us individually would bring change to our society that has been saturated with selfishness. There is another aspect of the visit which is sharing in the joys and happiness of other people or to be happy when other people are blessed. When we appreciate the blessing of others, we in turn receive our own blessings as well. This is the reason Paul enjoins us in his letter to the Romans to weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice (Romans 12:15). To rejoice with those who rejoice is recognizing the goodness of God in the lives of other people.

Furthermore, the situation of Mary and Elizabeth in today’s reading teaches us that God has a special love for apparently unimportant people and places. Mary and Elizabeth in Israel have no places of honor in the society and are not from any well-known family background, but God raised them up. This is echoed very well in the magnificant of Mary when she says God has regarded the low estate of His handmaiden, He has put down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of low degree. The little village of Nazareth in Juda’ is not known for any significant thing, but God made it a place of His birth. When we trust in God and allow him to lead us, He would always lift us up and change our situation. When we offer Jesus’ hospitality in our hearts and homes, He changes our situation to a greater position. God can, and often does, use the smallest, even the most despised, to fulfill the divine plan for salvation. This is even more evident in the continuation of Jesus’ ministry after His death. Jesus’ ministry was carried on by uneducated, poor fishermen and tax collectors who were despised by the society. These were the people God used to accomplish His message in the world. Still today that message is ongoing and it was people whom the society never saw as important that took that message to the corners of the world. God can use anyone to accomplish what He wants. Let us open our hearts and minds that Jesus may enter in this Christmas and use us for His work.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas asking God to bless you and your family this Christmas season. Happy Christmas to you all.