ADVENT SUNDAY 4 – C
Living the Advent Wreath
(Micah 5:2-5; Psalm 80; Hebrews 10:5-10; Luke 1:39-45)
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On this fourth Sunday of Advent, the advent wreath coincides with the readings as an invitation to live the deeper meaning of the wreath, that is, living lives full of faith, hope, love and joy.
For some, the candles of the Advent wreath for the first, second and fourth Sundays stand for the virtues of faith, hope and love. The other candle, a pink one, is lit for Laetare Sunday, which means joy, as the readings for the third Sunday Advent focus on joy.
Turning to the Gospel, we hear how Mary’s faith is tested when the angel Gabriel announces to her what would be her special role in God’s plan, to conceive by the Holy Spirit and to bear the Son of God. Her faith stood the test, as she surrendered to God’s will and agreed that this should be done to her according to God’s Word – thus, the first candle.
Her charity or love was displayed in her selfless, spontaneous and prompt visit to her cousin Elizabeth who was six months pregnant. Instead of focusing on herself, Mary went out of her way to be of assistance to her elderly cousin in her pregnancy – the second candle.
In addition to that, both Mary and Elizabeth display the beautiful virtue of hope as they share with one another their emotions around the births of the children they are bearing, looking to their future births and whatever the lives of these two children will bring to the world – the fourth candle.
Lastly, their celebration of immense joy around this mysterious intervention of God adds another layer to this already rich and extraordinary turn of events. As such, they stand as wonderful models for we who profess to believe in the Son of God to whom Mary gave birth at that first Christmas over two millennia ago – the third candle.
What is also noteworthy is that John the Baptist leapt for joy in Elizabeth’s womb, recognizing Jesus even before he was born. That is the same John the Baptist who would point out Jesus as the Lamb of God on the banks of the Jordan and then baptized Jesus. His leap for joy is an echo of King David dancing before the ark of the covenant.
What is ironic is that this is the same John the Baptist who seemed to have a crisis of faith later and had to send his disciples to Jesus to ask him if he was truly the Messiah, or were they supposed to wait for another. Undoubtedly, John was satisfied with the answer that Jesus gave him – the deaf hear, the blind see, the lame walk, and the blind regain their sight through his word and ministry, in fulfillment of the prophets of Israel.
The first reading adds the virtue of humility – that the Messiah to rule Israel and shepherd his people would come from Bethlehem, not an important town at all. More than that, this Messiah would be peace, not just work for peace on earth.
The second reading puts the focus on doing God’s will. Jesus is the one who truly does God’s will. Doing God’s will is the best way to keep the law, rather than following prescriptions or offering sacrifices. God’s will is to sanctify us through the sacrifice of Jesus, which was to fully surrender himself to the unfolding of his passion, death and resurrection. This was the way that Jesus, on the wood of the cross, would bring to fulfillment what had begun at his birth, in the wood of the manger.
The challenge for us, especially during this Advent and Christmas season with its many distractions, is to imitate Mary and Elizabeth in the way that the lived out these virtues, the Advent wreath, in their lives. Their faith, hope, love, humility, joy, and following God’s will in their lives, shine out like bright stars to guide us along our way.
One small example of the power of charity occurred to the pastor of a northern First Nation’s community. Before Christmas, he invited all the volunteers who had worked hard on behalf of the mission over the year to a supper in the nearest town about an hour’s drive south. A dozen persons responded to his invitation. The meal cost him about $225.00 A few months later, he presided at a funeral in the community, where many of the same people were in attendance. In an unusual gesture, one of the ladies organized a collection to help cover his expenses in coming to do the funeral. When he counted the collection a few hours later, he was struck by the amount and quickly counted again just to be certain he had not made a mistake. Sure enough, the amount of the collection was $226.75, just a little more than the cost of the meal a month earlier. The words of the gospel took on new meaning for him regarding charity: The measure you give is the measure you will receive.
The Eucharist we celebrate now is an act of doing God’s will. It is an act of faith, hope and love and should be a continual source of joy for us that empowers us to go out and imitate Mary and Elizabeth. In the words of the angel, let us say together: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
So remember, living the Advent wreath and doing God’s will in our lives is our best source of joy.
