Advent Reflection: Wednesday, December 22
12/22/2021
As Saint Louis University embraces the holiday season, students, faculty and staff members were asked to share reflections on selected readings. Today Vincent Truong, S.J., Jesuit in First Studies, reflects on Gospel, Luke 1:46-56.
Reading for Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021
Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
for he has looked upon his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.”
Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months
and then returned to her home.
Reflection
In this scene, I imagine that Mary is not far along, but Elizabeth is definitely pregnant. When Elizabeth comes out to Mary to greet her, I imagine how uncomfortable Elizabeth was. She was nauseous and tired. It would be right that Elizabeth responds to Mary’s joy and enthusiasm with an “Oh, honey. Just wait a couple of weeks.” But that is not how she responds; she responds with a reciprocation of that joy.
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.” A soul that proclaims has an audience, and the audience is given the chance to react. How do we react to Mary’s or anyone’s proclamation of joy? I can’t tell you how much I have been swept away by the joy of new mothers and mothers-to-be. Though they share with me the struggles and fears of motherhood, there is still a unique joy that comes through, a joy that I can’t really describe. Do we allow ourselves to be changed by that joy? Are we open to reach out from where we are, even in times of darkness, fear, and pain, to be swept away by this joy even if we cannot really understand it?
-- Vincent Truong, S.J., Jesuit in First Studies
Newslink will be running select reflections through Advent. All the reflections can be found on the Mission and Identity Facebook page.