Love will come again

Sunday Gospel- Fourth Sunday of Advent - Luke 1:39-44 
Mary set out and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, ‘Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’





There is something about being barren; even if healing eventually comes.

Twenty-odd years ago 'barren' was a word that described me for some time until medical intervention and a visit to Fatima brought the miracle of conception. 

 I hadn't told anyone, friends or family, I hadn't wanted the pity or the questions so, instead, got the assumptions and gossip - 'that I was too busy; too career minded.' There is no easy path.

 When I conceived, of course, that wasn't the end of the anxiety - each week marked on the calendar - by eight weeks; this - by twelve weeks; that - by sixteen weeks; the first line of safety had been crossed but by then it was impossible not to watch the ticking of the days and measure the movement of the body and the life within. 

 Sometimes, it felt that I spent the day holding my breath; believing that no-one realised just how precarious and precious this experience was. 

 I wonder if this is why Mary ran to Elizabeth.

 Did Mary move from those who would gossip and doubt to the arms of a kindred spirit? Run to her soul's friend, Elizabeth, who is filled with the knowing; the goodness and graciousness of God. 

 After all, Eizabeth shares so much in common with Mary - Elizabeth knows that the Lord has spoken; has promised. Elizabeth speaks for each of us who sees Christ in another; who knows that God is faithful. 

 She recognises that the Lord is with and within Mary. Knows that the Lord is also with her; that the Lord is with all of us who hear; who see; who trust.

 Within Elizabeth, the prophetic voice of John also speaks; generations already naming Mary as blessed; most fortunate; most joyful of women - her fulness; our fulness of faith - if we have faith. 

 If we are not part of the doubt and denial that the world can change - has already changed. If we hear the Spirit call to the spirit within each of us - telling us that we are - each one of us-  part of God's plan. If we believe that our very lives are fulfillments of God's promise.

 Then, the Kingdom will come; Love will come again; Then, through God's grace, we will give birth to a new tomorrow. 

 wordinthehand2012

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Listen

Image
Jesus said: ‘I tell you most solemnly, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate, but gets in some other way is a thief and a brigand. The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the flock; the gatekeeper lets him in, the sheep hear his voice, one by one he calls his own sheep and leads them out. When he has brought out his flock, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow because they know his voice. They never follow a stranger but run away from him: they do not recognise the voice of strangers.’ Jesus told them this parable but they failed to understand what he meant by telling it to them. So Jesus spoke to them again: ‘I tell you most solemnly, I am the gate of the sheepfold. All others who have come are thieves and brigands; but the sheep took no notice of them. I am the gate. Anyone who enters through me will be safe: he will go freely in and out and be sure of finding pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so ...
Read more

On and on and on and...

Image
Gospel Luke 18:1-8 Jesus told his disciples a parable about the need to pray continually and never lose heart. ‘There was a judge in a certain town’ he said ‘who had neither fear of God nor respect for man. In the same town there was a widow who kept on coming to him and saying, “I want justice from you against my enemy!” For a long time he refused, but at last he said to himself, “Maybe I have neither fear of God nor respect for man, but since she keeps pestering me I must give this widow her just rights, or she will persist in coming and worry me to death.”’ And the Lord said ‘You notice what the unjust judge has to say? Now will not God see justice done to his chosen who cry to him day and night even when he delays to help them? I promise you, he will see justice done to them, and done speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?’ A strange Gospel this; mostly because of the insinuation that we can get whatever we want from God just by nagging. ...
Read more

The Fourth Shepherd

Image
There are many characters in the story of the Nativity but one that we rarely hear of is the Fourth Shepherd. When the angels came that night to bring the Good News, they began with the most unlikely. Shepherds were a tough lot, weathered and self-reliant,  who had to survive out on the hills protecting their flock from the weather, the wolves and their own stupidity.  Once the shepherds had gotten over the shock and wonder of the glory of heaven shining all around them, they immediately wanted to go and find the baby; the lights of Bethlehem beckoned as brightly as the stars – ‘Come and see’. The could barely stop to wrap their cloaks around them. They took hold of  their staffs and each caught a light from the fire.  All except one. One young shepherd remained seated, looking into the fire. When the others asked him why he wasn’t ready, he replied that he was; he was ready to stay behind and take care of the flock. The other shepherds ...
Read more