Fourth Sunday of Advent
THE ACTIVE FIAT OF MARY, THE MOTHER OF GOD

Today’s gospel presents Mary who is a young virgin and Elizabeth who is beyond child bearing age. As we are waiting for the celebration of Christmas, these two also are waiting for the birth of two mysterious babies. The virgin is going to give birth to Jesus the Son of God and Elizabeth is going to give birth to John the Baptist who is the greatest among all born of a woman. Though it looks impossible, that is how God wants to work in the lives of Mary and Elizabeth. This impossibility becomes possible for God with an active FIAT of Mary.

Luke presents Mary as one who believed in God’s word. At the beginning she too doubts her vocation as anyone would do. But when the angel of God tells her that Holy Spirit will come over her and she will conceive a Child she does not doubt it anymore. Instead, she believes in the power of God. She believes that everything is possible for God. It looks so impossible for a young virgin to first of all believe in such a message and secondly, to accept it as God’s plan for her. For sure, Mary might have anticipated the consequences of accepting this plan: she will be looked down upon in the society. She will be rejected by the people, friends and family. So, it could have been a very big challenge for any one at this situation. But Mary was bold enough to make this decision. Because, Mary did not think so much about herself, her future, and her life etc. Instead, she thought of the good thing that was going to take place because for her “Yes”. That is the salvation of the whole world. She was willing to sacrifice her own life for the sake of the world. She also believed that God will be always with her during this journey. And she had God in her womb, then in her life as a child and as her master.

The interference of Holy Spirit in the life of Mary that makes her the Mother of God and spouse of the Holy Spirit makes a very big transition in her life: a young virgin is going to be the mother of God, therefore, mother of all. A girl who was able to play around like any of her friends is now going to take up a very big responsibility of giving birth to God, protecting Him from all dangers, to train Him in as a mother would train any child and ultimately to obtain salvation for the whole world through Him.
Anyone who is filled with the Holy Spirit will go on God’s mission. That is what Mary also does in today’s gospel. As soon as she was filled with the Holy Spirit she was in hast to be on God’s mission. She decides to make a very dangerous journey. A young girl traveling to a hill country is not something easy. She did not have a car as we do now. She had to go on either foot or on a donkey. There could be so many dangers on the way. She did not care about all these things. She went ahead to make this journey in order to help her cousin Elizabeth who is pregnant for six months.

In the gospel we hear that as soon as Mary greets Elizabeth the child in her womb leaps for joy. It is the sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of Mary. At the time of Mary, in their culture, it was the custom that the elder came before the younger, not the other way. But in today’s gospel, Mary who is a young girl goes before Elizabeth who is an older woman. This big shift in the life of Mary is due to her big “YES” to be the mother of God and to whatever would follow later.

Elizabeth asks why I should be honored that the Mother of God should come to me. Elizabeth recognizes Mary as mother of God. Therefore, there is no wonder that Elizabeth calls Mary “Blessed” among all women. But we do not see any kind of pride in Mary’s attitude that she is mother of God. Many of us may think of Mary as a passive person in the plan of God. But today we see how active she is in order to fulfill the responsibilities involved in her big “YES”. Her humility, dedication, and sacrificial life are an example for all of us. Mother Mary is mother of us all. She will take us closer to God.