December 23, 2018 4th Sunday of Advent
1st Reading: Mic 5:1–4a 2nd Reading: Heb 10:5–10 Gospel: Lk 1:39–45
Mary then set out for a town in the Hills of Judah. She entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leapt in her womb. Elizabeth was filled with Holy Spirit, and giving a loud cry, said, “You are most blessed among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb! How is it that the mother of my Lord comes to me? The moment your greeting sounded in my ears, the baby within me suddenly leapt for joy. Blessed are you who believed that the Lord’s word would come true!”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
Twice the Gospel reading of today describes the leaping of the infant in the womb of Elizabeth. The first is a commentary by the Gospel writer. It simply says, “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting the baby leapt in her womb”. The second is a quote from Elizabeth who said, “The moment your greeting sounded in my ears, the baby within me suddenly leapt for joy.” It does not say, “leapt for happiness”. Joy is deeper and more profound because happiness depends on happenings. While happiness is fleeting, joy is drawn from the God within. It springs from a clear conscience and a deep love for God and genuine respect for neighbours.
The leaping of the infant for joy in the womb of Elizabeth takes us back to the time of Genesis when at the word of the Creator the world was filled with life, vibrancy and vitality. When Mary uttered the greetings that reached the ears of Elizabeth making the infant leap in her womb, Mary became the spokesman of the Son of the Creator. By her greeting she made the infant in the womb of the hearer leap for joy. At that instant humanity was wrapped in infancy and it leapt for joy because salvation was at hand and soon it would recover the vibrancy, life and vitality it once enjoyed at the time of Creation.
How significant that this early in the process of the salvation event Mary exercised her share in that procreative power of the Creator. It signals her role as partner of God in saving humanity that he himself created.
God’s saving plan was accomplished “once and for all” (Heb. 9:26) by the redemptive death of his Son Jesus Christ (CCC, 571). There was so much generosity shown in God’s proposal to the Virgin Mary to save us all. But that it had to involve the death of His only Son is love beyond human imagining. And Mary took part of this act of love by offering her “memory, understanding, her entire life”. We leap for joy as we reflect on the mystery of this love! – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., D.M.
May comment ka ba sa column ni Father Dan? May tanong ka ba sa kanya? I-type ang BANDERA REACT <message/ name/age/address> at i-send sa 4467.