December 12/Second Tuesday of Advent
“. . . Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.” ~ Luke 1.39
At the moment of life-changing news, what does Mary instinctively do? She seeks out human contact, craving the solace and strength that friendship offers. This is our instinct, too: we hear of a death and we head for the house of the family to offer sympathy. We learn of a friend’s honor or success and we pick up the telephone to call. We receive a grim diagnosis or a happy reprieve and we immediately reach out to our mother, our spouse, our best friend, our mentor. Sharing the burdens and gifts that life brings to us is essential to being human; God instilled this need for companionship in the very first moments of the created world, when he declared that it was not good for adam, or the earth-creature, to be alone. Today’s vignette of the meeting of Mary and Elizabeth stands out for its warm intimacy — especially in a biblical context that does not furnish a huge number of stories about women. The mutual comfort and joy of these two women, whose lives have been upended by the hand of God, is both endearing and exemplary. Today we celebrate the genuine connections of clasped hands, locked eyes, warm embraces, voices lifted up together — the tangible demonstrations of love and affection that give the lie to the faux connectivity that social media and iDevices promise. In these remaining days of Advent — and ever thereafter — let us strive to be truly present to one another in ways that divide our burdens and multiply our joys.
Loving Lord, Inspire us to strengthen the bonds of human connection, and to be truly attentive to the needs of others. Amen.
To hear the Currende Vocal Ensemble (Peter Philips, conductor) sing “Exsurgens Maria abiit” (“And Mary arose and went into the hill country. . . “) click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRUo3cmX3Ws
For today’s readings, click here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121223.cfm
