Advent day 11

Luke 1:39-47          Advent day 11

          The morning that my daughter was born, I was there in the delivery room. There seemed to be a million things going on in the room but when my daughter was born I was overcome with emotion. It was as if I was an emotional volcano. The emotions came from deep inside and I was overcome with tears of joy. There are many words to explain this, being verklempt and kvelling, are just two. It's emotions that comes from deep inside your gut, it's overpowering.

            How often do we feel that depth of emotion, that depth of joy? In this reading from Luke, the visitation of Mary to Elizabeth, there is clearly an expression of the joy that not only the women felt, but also the babes in their wombs.

             In the moments after you've downed your umteenth serving of turkey on Thanksgiving day, the Christmas rush (read: insanity) begins. It is a whirl of Madison avenue marketing wizardry, shopping for must have items, writing cards, attending parties and yes, even more eating. It's as if Thanksgiving was not enough and it is simply an appetizer for the entire season.

              There is great joy in this season however, joy that can make you verklempt. Joy that can make you feel overcome but it has little if anything to do with the secular, material world. There is really nothing material about a babe in the womb and the beauty of birth and new life.  This is the real challenge of Christmas. To reconnect with the real meaning of Christmas, to allow God's presence into your daily routines so that you can actually feel the joy.

              Many years ago in a prayer group that I belonged to, we prayed on this very topic. We were directed to try and think what task, what stood in the way of allowing ourselves to feel the joy of Christmas. At the time I found writing Christmas cards to be a burden, a chore and something that was standing in the way of a genuine joyful season. So I gave it up. No Christmas cards that year at all. Perhaps that was a bit selfish and I am sure some people wonder what happened to me.

           We need to take whatever steps are necessary to make this a joyous Holyday and not just a hectic Holiday. Think about it, talk to God about it and make your own decision as to what you need to do (or not do).

Mary set out

and traveled to the hill country in haste

to a town of Judah,

where she entered the house of Zechariah

and greeted Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting,

the infant leaped in her womb,

and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,

cried out in a loud voice and said,

"Most blessed are you among women,

and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

And how does this happen to me,

that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,

the infant in my womb leaped for joy.

Blessed are you who believed

that what was spoken to you by the Lord

would be fulfilled."

And Mary said:

"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;

my spirit rejoices in God my savior."