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Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Advent

Readings of the Day 
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Late Advent is one of my favorite times of the year liturgically,
primarily because of the wonderful characters who populate the
Scripture readings, and in particular the strong female characters.
There is of course the Blessed Mother herself, but also there is
Mary's cousin Elizabeth - the mother of Saint John the
Baptist who, along with her husband Zechariah, are the first major
characters mentioned in Luke's Gospel. Elizabeth plays an
essential role along with Mary as an active participant and
spokesperson for God's plan of salvation.

While best known for being John the Baptist's mother, Elizabeth
- like her son to follow - was also the first herald of
the yet unborn Jesus when she greeted her pregnant cousin Mary and
proclaimed the child Mary was carrying as "my Lord." And
in the reading from today's Gospel, we hear how it is Elizabeth
who, after the birth of her child, speaks in a prophetic voice for
herself and her husband, breaking with tradition to announce that her
child's name will be "John" - the name God had
chosen for him -  thereby setting the tone for his ministry to
follow.    

I always find it instructive that Saint Luke - in writing the
Infancy Narratives - tells the story primarily from the
perspective of the women involved. While for the modern reader this is
nothing unusual, for Saint Luke's First Century Roman and Jewish
audiences - where women were often relegated to "Second
Class status" - such a focus was highly unusual.

I believe Saint Luke chose to tell the story this way to remind us
that to God the margins of society matter: Jesus was born not in the
center of power in Rome or even Jerusalem, but far from it in a stable
in Bethlehem to simple people. In announcing His Kingdom, God in the
Gospel spoke to and through those on the margins - women,
shepherds, Samaritans and lepers. Today God is still speaking to us
from the margins through those in need: the sick, the unemployed, the
poor, the incarcerated, the homeless, the undocumented and the
unheard.    
         

After this very challenging year for all of us, as we approach the
baby in the manger on this December 25th, let us be sure that we
remain "mindful of the margins" - and listen for the
prophetic voices who speak to us from the margins still! 
     

Tom Dobbins Jr. is the Justice and Peace Coordinator of Catholic
Charities of the Archdiocese of New York, a Producer for the
"JustLove" radio broadcast on Sirius/XM's Catholic
Channel, and the Chair Emeritus of the Roundtable Association of
Catholic Diocesan Social Action Directors. 

 

 




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