Sunday, December 20, 2009: Micah 5:1-4; Hebrews 10:5-10; Luke 1:39-45 (Fourth Sunday in Advent C)

Just 13 lines earlier in Luke’s Gospel, and on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, we read that “the angel, Gabriel was sent from God to the town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.”

The angel greeted Mary, saying, “Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with you.”

This is the Annunciation Story, the first mystery of the Joyous Mysteries of the Holy Rosary.

“The first Joyous Mystery, the Annunciation.”

And then we read one of the most prominent understatements in the New Testament…

After the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and greeted her, Mary was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.

Greatly troubled…We raised 3 wonderful sons; never did we have a 12-14 year old girl to raise.

I can’t even imagine what was going through Mary’s mind, as she found herself pregnant by the Holy Spirit

And, yet, her first response was, “Behold, I am the Handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”

And then, no sooner did she find out from the angel, Gabriel, that her relative, Elizabeth, was pregnant in her sixth month, even though she was old that Mary set out to Elizabeth’s town to help her with her pregnancy and delivery.

Thieves, bandits, and all the other dangers of a woman being alone on the road to Elizabeth did not stop Mary from her mission.

Her goal was to be a servant, to serve Elizabeth in her time of need.

And then, Elizabeth said to Mary, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”

So, yes, we have the first half of the prayer, the Hail Mary.

“Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women; and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.”

To which the Church added, “Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death, amen.”

But let’s get back to Elizabeth telling Mary that she is blessed among women.

What does it mean to be blessed in the eyes of God?

Mary, by today’s standards, a child, pregnant, without a husband.

Told by an angel that no one else saw.

Easily, except for the love of Joseph, she could have been stoned to death by Jewish Law.

Then, in the late time of her pregnancy, she and Joseph traveled by donkey from Galilee to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem.

But, as we know the story, there was no place for them to stay, so Mary delivered Jesus in the barn and laid him in the manger.

An angel appeared to Joseph and told him to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt, because Herod was looking for the baby, and wanted to kill him.

Mary and Joseph presented Jesus, according to Jewish law, in the Temple, and Simeon held the child, prayed, and then told Mary, that she, herself will receive a sword that will pierce her heart.

As Jesus begins his public life of ministry, his own friends and relatives think he is crazy, at best, and a person of the devil at worst.

Mary’s only son is stripped of his clothing, scourged with whips; crowned with a crown made of thorns.

He is condemned by his fellow Jews.

Traded for a real criminal, Barabbas.

Made to carry a cross.

And finally, nailed to that cross and left to die the death of a common criminal.

And Mary was there, at the foot of the cross, watching her only son in agony, consumed with pain, slowly dying while people walked by and mocked him.

All of this is what it is to be called, “blessed are you among women.”

In Baptism, we are anointed with the oil of salvation (oil of Catechumens); washed with the water of life; and crowned with the oil of sacred Chrism

Yes, each of us is called, “blessed.”

So, does Mary’s fate await us?

To be blessed by God, are we expected to endure embarrassment, danger, immense sorrow, and the loss of the only person we love?

Maybe.

In different ways, perhaps.

In all of our lives, crosses, big and small, are waiting for us to pick up and carry to the place of the Skull.

To endure embarrassment because we believe in Christ; to be laughed at and mocked because we do not buy into the culture of the day.

To be ignored and separated from our peers, our friends, our social group, just because we refuse to take the drugs, smoke the pot, or drink the Cool Aide of today’s latest fad.

But when our lives seem hopeless; when our isolation seems unbearable; when we think that we just cannot bear any more trouble in our daily existence from friends or family, that’s when we should bring Mary into our lives.

She has been there; she has done that; yet she continues to believe and to be there for us.

It is in those terrible times, and in good times as well, that we should reach into our pocket or purse, pull out our Rosary and pray as Mary taught us.

We should use the words that the angel, Gabriel, spoke; the words that Elizabeth proclaimed and say:

Hail Mary, Full of Grace
The Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among Women,
And blessed is the fruit of your womb,
Jesus.

And Mary’s response should be our response:

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
My spirit rejoices in God, my Savior.

Because our souls should proclaim our Lord’s greatness, and our spirits should rejoice in God, our Savior.

(c) This Homily was prepared and preached by Rev. Mr. Stephen A. Olenchock, Deacon at St. John University Parish, Morgantown, WV.