Commentary

4th Sunday of Advent - B
Luke 1:39-45

How Does This Happen to Me?

"How does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" The question Elizabeth raises expresses her humble astonishment at the single blessing she receives from Mary's visit.

That question should be ours also. "How does this happen to us, that the mother of our Lord should come to us?" The Lord comes to visit the whole human race, and each one of us. And so, "How does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?"

Indeed, it is the Lord who is coming to us. Elizabeth's blessing is for all of us. So should her humble astonishment be ours.

Moreover, not only are we the recipients of the Lord's visit, we are also the carriers of the Lord's presence. Through our baptism, we become, like Mary, the bearers of Jesus Christ to our world.

How does this happen to me that I should be the carrier of the Lord? And so we are blessed!

Mary becomes God's bearer through her obedience to God's will and then, through her act of charity. A cousin reaching out to a cousin in need is no longer just an act of kindness. With Jesus in her womb, her act of charity becomes an encounter with the Savior for Elizabeth and her son . And Christ redeeming act begins.