For a moment let
us revisit the journey we have made in preparation for welcoming Jesus. We may have
prepared in different ways personally. The readings were preparing us to make
us receive Jesus worthily in the manger we have made. Even when the assurance
was made that the Lord will surely come, we are told that He is already with
us. The readings told us to prepare the way. It was to introspect the
disposition of our heart; whether they are open towards Christ or not. Reminding
us about the streams of life in us the readings asked us to keep our hopes
alive. Further they told not only about the beautiful things happening around
us, but that the Lord rejoices over you, He has found joy in you. He embraces
us in his love. Finally, we saw, with devotion and gratitude, the very truth of
human flesh where God became one of us.
As we place
ourselves once again in the journey of advent, we are encouraged to look at one
person, Mary. Earlier we heard that Mary is blessed, and is full of grace. God found
favour with her. Today we hear that Blessed is the fruit of her womb. Let us
try to imagine what happens in these two things in her life, the fullness of
grace and the human flesh. It is not a magic, it was the fruit of such a deep
love. The Word, the eternal truth and wisdom of God became flesh in her body.
It is an unusual thing to happen, but she was not restless as the child was
growing in her womb because she was familiar with the Word. This blessed fruit
in her flesh caused the movement of the Spirit in Elizabeth. Even the child in her womb was filled with the
holy spirit at the greeting of Mary. Elizabeth, rejoices at the visit of Mary.
She says, “Blessed is the fruit of your womb”
From these two
women we need to learn today to praise the graciousness of God. We cannot find
the joy at the manger if we have not learned to see the blessedness and greet
with blessedness. Blessed are ‘you’ (in person, and in the many blessings you
carry, and blessed is your fruit. Blessed are you to me, to the family,
society, the church community … free of judgment on the perfection and
holiness of the person. Perhaps, it is when we cannot see the blessedness
around, we live in darkness and in the shadow of death, because we have been so
trained to believe that it is sin, curse, and condemnation all around. We
cannot find the joy of Christ taking flesh in our body and life.
“You have prepared
a body for me. I said, here I am, I have come to do your will O, God.” Grace
works in our flesh too like in Mary. Can we accept that grace is at work in our
life, and the blessedness can make the movements of the Spirit in others? To
believe in the reality of the incarnation, and in the continuing work of the
Holy Spirit in us, we must first raise our own human flesh in thanksgiving. Begin
to love the Word present in and around us, listen what the Word calls us for,
learn to do the will of God. The world will see a Christlike person in us too. Then,
the Emmanuel event will be very much personal for us too like Mary and
Elizabeth. Let us feel within ourselves the forming of and the being born of
Christ in our own flesh and blood, and fill many with abundance of blessings.
Let us also greet others praising their blessedness. See that the core of the
Gospel was the blessedness, that God is in our midst.
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