OMELIE / Omelie EN

19 dic 2021

19/12/2021 – 4th Sunday of Advent - year C

19/12/2021 – 4^th Sunday of Advent - year C

Reading 1 MI 5, 1-4 Psalm 79 Reading 2 HEB 10, 5-10 Gospel LK 1, 39-48

«She who is to give birth has borne». The time for the true freedom of the children of God is coming, because he who is to be born will take back after «giving them up» the suffering people. Our focus today is really on her, she “who is to give birth”. We are anxiously waiting for her childbirth to happen, because we hope in the true freedom. The power they have been “given up” to, in fact, is not really a human power, but instead it is the power of sin, which is still overpowering every man and humanity.

The prophet is announcing a mother, and today we look at this Mother who is hasting through the mountains to meet – without envy – another mother. Both women have become mothers against all the odds, surprised by God’s grace and hand. Both of them have let themselves be loved, and now they need to learn how to love, how to give themselves, so the life they are carrying in their womb is a gift coming from heaven.

The prophecies are about to be fulfilled. The people’s wait, lasted for centuries and centuries, now, in the silence and the secret of these two mothers has come to an end. While Elisabeth is welcoming Maria, John welcomes Jesus. The words Elisabeth is addressing to Mary are telling who is the Son hidden in her womb, the Son who has already a great name, divine. The joy which makes the old mother’s son jump is showing the meaning of his very name: “God saves”! God is fulfilling His promises, God is present and working.

Mary finally can abandon the fears that followed her new situation, and make room for the joy which the whole world is about to get. Elisabeth does not doubt her, does not accuse her, does not criticise her and does not condemn her, on the contrary, not only she understands her, but she even praises her and she calls her blessed. The mother of the saviour is truly blessed by God, and truly blessed in her whole being! She sings her joy, the joy which is growing in her when she looks at God’s goodness, the joy which does not grow smaller faced with the condition of oppression of the world which she too has to and will have to suffer in.

The words which Mary is showing her happiness with have been adapted and repeated through the centuries by the Christians. Every day with them the faithful are thanking the Father, because He is the true sun which they have enjoyed during the day, and He is the prize which every faithfulness in love is rewarded with. They too suffer every day because of the pride and arrogance of the rich and the powerful, and every day they enjoy the blessing of the poor and the sufferer, of the pure of heart and the merciful.

Mary has become the teacher of the prayer of the whole Church right when she was pregnant with her Son and saviour. She is a prayer teacher and a charity teacher. The prayer opens the heart to generosity, and the charity lived makes the prayer truthful and concrete. Mary’s prayer has begun when she has said out loud the offering which the same Son of God and hers has made known in the silence of eternity: “Behold, I come to do your will, O God”.

With these words the letter to the Hebrews is introducing the Son of God and son of Mary. He comes to fulfill the Father’s will and so to show Him to us. The hidden God becomes visible thanks to Him. Today we too are repeating with the whole Church these words, with which we offer ourselves to be part of the Son's love and therefore concretise the salvation for every man. By doing His will we will then be able to repeat also the words with which Mary is showing her elation: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour”.