Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Advent
Today’s Gospel (Luke 1:39-45) is the all-too familiar scene of the Visitation. I say “all-too familiar” because it is the exact same Gospel that we read this past Sunday. For many, it is also just a familiar scene – Mary, now pregnant with Jesus, visits her cousin Elizabeth, who is only a few months further along than Mary, and her baby “leaps” in her womb upon hearing Mary’s voice. It’s a story that’s familiar with a rhythm we’re used to. But the moment that I started reading this Gospel story, I was immediately struck by a thought:
I never really think about Elizabeth.
Sure, I know she is Mary’s cousin and the mother of John the Baptist. I know that she was beyond an age where a woman can normally bear a child. And if you really press me on the topic, I could probably tell you that she’s the one that gives us “blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb” (Luke 1:42) which we say in the Hail Mary.
But I really don’t spend any time thinking about her, her life, or her role in the Gospels. This is the only time we see her in the Gospel, so we don’t have a lot to work with, or time to think about her.
This does not, however, mean we shouldn’t consider her life and her example.
Elizabeth’s role in the Gospels is not glamorous or exciting. She’s not a major player or a person we immediately consider when thinking about people in the Gospels. If John the Baptist was the one who prepared the way for Jesus, then Elizabeth is the one who prepared the way for the one who would prepare the way for Jesus. She says about four sentences in the entire Gospel of Luke. All things considered, she’s not exactly a high-profile person.
But she is, nonetheless, still an integral part of the story. We take inspiration from her every time we pray the Hail Mary (which means fifty-three times for every rosary!) We look to her for confirmation of the angel’s promise that Mary would bear Jesus. Elizabeth, while a character that’s hard to actively consider in the Gospels, is still necessary to the story.
All too often, I think we only ever consider ourselves to be the main characters of our own stories, instead of supporting characters in other stories. This can, inadvertently, give us an inflated sense of self-importance and pride. Today, let us consider the stories to which we are supporting characters. The stories we are in, but not necessarily for long. Let us follow the example of Elizabeth, who, although she was not destined for the “spotlight,” still plays an important and necessary role in preparing the world for the coming of the Lord
- Marty Bagatti