Breaking the Word

Third Week of Advent, Thursday — 22^nd December 2022 — Gospel: Luke 1,46-56

Mary’s Praises of God

Mary is a part of a long list of women who sang songs of praise in the Old Testament: Miriam (Exod 15,20-21), Deborah (Judg 5), Hannah (1 Sam 2,1-10) and Judith (Jdt 16,1-17). The canticle is also modelled on the Psalms, the daily hymns of the Jewish people. Since the word of God permeated the heart of Mary, she would have been quite familiar with the passages from the Israelite Scriptures that echo throughout her canticle. In fact, she sings back to God the truths that she learned in her daily reflection on the word of God. Her canticle rings with pure praise of God. As a model of living faith, Mary recognized what God was doing through her. She accepted God’s doing joyfully, and was humble enough to give God all the glory.

Third Week of Advent, Wednesday — 21^st December 2022 — Gospel: Luke 1,39-45

Young Virgin Honors the Old

After the angel Gabriel’s annunciation, Mary makes her first journey. She travels from Nazareth to Judean town, it is a long and arduous journey on the hill top.  Yet she goes without hesitation to visit her kinswoman Elizabeth, knowing that she is also miraculously pregnant. In the scene of their visit, the two annunciation accounts, of John and of Jesus, are merged together. In this encounter, the elderly Elizabeth represents God’s work among the people of ancient Israel; Mary represents the new mission that God will do in sending the Messiah. In Elizabeth, the old esteems the young; in Mary, the young honors the old. As a prototype of Christian discipleship, after receiving the good news, Mary hastens to share it with another.