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<h3>Mary Went in Haste</h3>
Dec
24
Written by:
Sunday, December 24, 2006
4th Sunday of Advent
December 24, 2006
One of the hallmarks of a genuine religious vocation is that there is usually a sense of "urgency." The person is compelled to push forward, to say "yes" to God with all that this implies. Candidates for the religious life or the priesthood, as well as those seeking entrance into the Church often feel a certain need for haste, as if the door they are trying to go through might close at any minute! This kind of "urgency" is a gift of the Holy Spirit and a sign of God's presence.
In this Sunday's gospel, Mary has just received her vocation to be the Mother of God from the Archangel Gabriel (Luke 1:39-45), and immediately afterward she sets out in haste to visit her cousin Elizabeth. From this we learn that when the Lord acts powerfully in our lives, a genuine response will act sooner rather than later.
Mary's response is one of selfless love. She goes to her cousin Elizabeth, not filled with self-love and pride over the great role she has been given, but with an other-directed love that the early Church called agape love. We can always recognize the Spirit of God when we are moved to focus more on the needs of others than simply being preoccupied with our own issues.
The real test of maturity is whether or not we are able to move beyond an excessive preoccupation with self in order to love someone else. As babies, we are by nature self-centered. A baby needs this in order to survive. A sign of healthy maturity is the desire and ability to focus on the needs of others more than on ourselves. Mary points the way to this in her response to the archangel Gabriel's visit. She can't wait to share her good news and assist her cousin! In the same way, Christmas is not so much about what I receive, but what I give. Focusing on what I am getting is for children; caring more about what I give to others is for adults. Besides, we have already received the present of a lifetime – Jesus – our friend who comes to give us eternal life.
Father Gary
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