Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
I used to work in a bookstore. It was an awesome job that enabled me to be surrounded by both my favorite hobby (reading, organizing, and even smelling old books) and my favorite collectible (Shelves! Well, rather the books that filled the shelves). As I read today’s first reading I was taken back to my bookstore days as I would organize the Self-Help, Relationship, Pets, or many other sections where you could find an unreal number of books claiming to have the 3 easy steps to this, 5 easy steps to that, or 6 Easy Steps to World Peace and Getting your Baby to Sleep Through the Night (those two topics might be more related than I first thought). As I read Paul’s words I first thought, “Wow, this is like Practical Christian Living for Dummies or something.” Then I realized Paul writes about rejoicing in this passage, but says little about joy explicitly. That is when I decided this is Paul’s 20 Impossible Steps, Without the Grace of God, to Joy. This wordy title will be our outline today as we briefly discuss these 20 steps, facing impossibility, and recognizing our Joy.
Paul’s 20 Steps really do lay out a beautiful image of the Christian life. It opens strong with the statement, “Let love be sincere.” I love this because he is not ordering us to love sincerely, as if there can be another way to love. But he is telling us to get our dishonesty, insecurity, and selfishness out of the way so that love can be as love is and should be. Further along he tells us to “anticipate one another in showing honor.” This runs counter to our defensive nature. When was the last time someone pulled you aside and said, “Listen, I don’t know what so & so might be saying about me, but they might be saying good things about me, so I wanted to make sure that you also heard good things about them?” This doesn’t happen to me very often, because too often we anticipate slander and gossip and so we do just that. We’ll focus on one more and then keep it moving. If we were to run with my “20 Steps” idea, then Paul devotes 2 Steps to how we handle those who persecute us. He writes, “Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse them.” Don’t overthink this one. Persecution can be as drastic as Christ’s crucifixion, but if we leave it there it is rarely present in our own life. No, persecution can be name calling, false accusations, unjust treatment because of true accusations, unforgiveness, abuse, etc. It is a reality that many of us face, and Paul tells us to react in a way that runs contrary to our desires and that is what makes this list seem so impossible.
If we are looking at this list saying to ourselves, “this IS impossible.” We need to remember the words of Christ that, “with God all things are possible” (Matt 19:26). Which is fitting as we celebrate the feast of the Visitation of Mary. The meeting of two women who knew from first-hand experience that anything is possible with God’s grace. While we may concede that these steps are possible, how can we make them manageable? There are many ways, but one suggestion would be to practice each step specifically. To devote a day or a week to each step. But we should not limit ourselves to just making an effort to practice it. We should dive into what the widespread applications of it could look like in our lives. We should pray about it, for the strength to live it, and for the grace to see where we are lacking. Finally, we should be like Mary, who in the face of God working the impossible in her life, sought out another to share it with, celebrate it with, and without a doubt, seek help in the trials of it all. Essentially someone who will encourage you and hold you accountable as you ask for God’s grace to live out this passage.
Finally, I believe this passage is a practical view of the joyful life. Now this isn’t self-help, ‘how can I help myself feel content?’ And this isn’t a cure all recipe, if you notice Paul doesn’t say “Bless those who persecute you and they’ll stop.” Rather this is a measuring stick. This is Paul saying, “This is what a life of Christian Joy looks like.” He is inviting us to take a look and see what is missing in our own life. After we look, and as we improve, as we encounter the Joy of Christ, the Joy of the Gospel, the Joy of God working the Impossible in our lives. What are we to do with it? That answer comes back to Mary again; we are to proclaim it and share it. Just as Pope Francis wrote that, “The joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus.” I would say that we all have a canticle or a Magnificat. We all have a song of rejoicing and praise to be shared with strangers (like Simeon did in Lk 2:29-32), with our neighbors (like Zechariah did in Lk 1:68-79), and with family (like Mary did in 1:46-55).
So, on this Feast of the Visitation, I’m going to give one more practical suggestion. Spend today, this week, this month, this year, or however long you need, but spend that time praying and thinking about your Magnificat. What would yours say? How would your soul proclaim the greatness of the Lord?
-Spencer Hargadon