Advent growth in the Lord, leap into life with joy

Luke’s Gospel begins with an introduction to the Jewish priest Zachary, and his wife, Elizabeth. Both of them, we are told, were righteous in the eyes of God, observing all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. But they had no child because Elizabeth was barren and both were advanced in years. 

Luke goes on to tell of an angelic appearance to Zachary with wondrous news about the coming birth of a son to the aging couple and how great this son will be.   Zachary asks how he will know this because of the advanced years of the couple.  In response, the angel identifies himself as the Angel Gabriel, and then tells Zachary that he will be unable to talk until the birth of the baby because he has not believed the angel’s words. 

As the angel has foretold, Zachary does become mute and Elizabeth does conceive a child, in view of which, she goes into seclusion as she awaits the longed-for birth of her son.

Meanwhile, in Nazareth the angel Gabriel appears to Mary, “a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph of the house of David” and tells her that she will have a son.  Mary also questions how this can happen since she has taken a vow of virginity, but clearly she is asking, not in disbelief, but simply to know because the angel replies that it will happen through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Then he tells Mary that her cousin Elizabeth has also conceived a child in her old age because nothing is impossible with God. Mary accepts the Good News saying, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord.  May it be done to me according to your word.”

Mary rejoices with the good news about Elizabeth since she knows how Elizabeth and Zachary have longed for a child, and so, as Luke tells us: “During those days, Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste in a town of Judah where she entered the house of Zachary and greeted Elizabeth.”

English author Caryll Houselander, in her book “The Reed of God”, reflects on this sentence and sees in it the young Mary’s great love for her aging cousin, Elizabeth.  Houselander writes: “Many women, if they were expecting a child, would refuse to hurry over the hills on a visit of pure kindness… The Mother of God considered no such thing.  Elizabeth was going to have a child too, and although Mary’s own child was God, she could not forget Elizabeth’s need – almost incredible to us, but characteristic of her.

“She greeted her cousin Elizabeth and at the sound of her voice, John quickened in his mother’s womb and leapt for joy.

“I am come,” Christ said, “that they may have life and may have it more abundantly.” Even before He was born, his presence gave life.

Houselander goes on to ask herself how Elizabeth knew what had happened to Mary.  She surmises that “She knew it by the child within herself, by the quickening into life which was a leap of joy.”

She then goes on to tell us that if Christ is growing in us… if we go with eager wills “in haste” to wherever our circumstances compel us because we believe that He desires to be in that place, we shall find that we are driven more and more to act on the impulse of His love. And the answer we shall get from others to those impulses will be an awakening into life, or the leap into joy of the already wakened life with them.  

Let us enter into prayerful reflection on some of these points.  During the Advent/Christmas season, are we especially aware of the Christ growing within us?  Do we go with eager haste to where circumstances call us, believing that Christ wants to be there through my presence?

Perhaps we will not be completely aware of the awakening into life in others, but can we go forward without knowing?  Can we leave the results of our actions to the Lord as we strive to make Him known in all the circumstances of our lives?