Pastor's Message

                    4th Sunday of Advent 

    “ Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb." "And why has this happened to me, that the Mother of My Lord comes to me?" Luke 1.39-45

            These are the words of Elizabeth, cousin to Mary at her first encounter with her Lord and Savior in the womb her cousin, Mary; An exultation under the influence of the Holy Spirit!

            Here is the central image that the Church wants us to behold and contemplate; Two women who accepted the Will of God and generously responded to Him. The Lord bestowed on them as a consequence of their availability, blessings beyond all measures, to an extent of experiencing true divine peace.

My brothers and sisters, Christmas celebrates one, if not the highest point, in God’s revelation of Himself. At Christmas we experience what was denied to Moses; We behold the face of God. At the birth of Jesus, the face God the Father became visible in the face of Baby Jesus. What a blessing and privilege!

            The question then becomes, given an opportunity and a privilege of physically beholding God in our human history, can we remain indifferent?

            The Gospel reading today, allows us to behold the workings of the Holy Spirit. Mary and Elizabeth were illumined by the Spirit of God, to be aware and experience the honor given them by the Lord. No wonder, they were exceedingly joyful!

            “And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me?” Elizabeth asked.

            And Mary responded; “My Soul glorifies the Lord and my Spirit rejoices in God my Savior. Because he has regarded the lowliness of his servant; hence forth all generations shall call me blessed.’

            The Spirit of God works in the heart of every human being leading him or her to an encounter with God their Creator and Father. He illumines us to experience a fulfillment.

            Elizabeth’s exclaimed the truth about Mary that was the foundation of her experiencing of this Fulfillment; Mary was a Believer.

           “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

           As we await the Birthday of Our Lord and Savior, let us abandon ourselves on hands of God and ask him to bless us with an increase of Faith.