Saint Gertrude Parish - Lasne
December 22, 2024
On this page you will find:
The readings for Mass, the Mass leaflet with the choice of hymns
A sample universal prayer available for download , in PDF and editable Word formats.
A meditation on the Sunday Gospel , a spiritual text and a commentary by Marie-Noëlle Thabut
4th Sunday of Advent
Rorate cæli
Blessed is she who believed
to the fulfillment of the words
which were spoken to him from the Lord.
Luke 1:45
Readings from the Mass
Mass leaflet
Universal Prayer
Lectio Divina
Consult this page for a prayerful preparation for the liturgy and then read the meditations below.
Meditation
Today's Gospel reading, for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, recounts Mary's visit to Elizabeth (cf. Lk 1:39-45). Having received the Angel's announcement, the Virgin did not remain at home, dwelling on what had happened and considering the problems and unforeseen events that certainly arose: for, poor thing, she didn't know what to do with this news, given the culture of the time... She didn't understand... On the contrary, she thought first of those in need; instead of being focused on her own problems, she thought of those in need, she thought of Elizabeth, her relative, who was elderly and pregnant: a strange, miraculous thing. Mary generously set out, undeterred by the difficulties of the journey, responding to an inner prompting that called her to draw near and offer her help. A long road, miles and miles, and there were no buses: she had to go on foot. She went out to help, sharing her joy. Mary gave Elizabeth the joy of Jesus, the joy she carried in her heart and soul. She went to see her and proclaimed her feelings, and this proclamation of feelings later became a prayer, the Magnificat, which we all know. And the text says that the Virgin “set out and went with haste” (v. 39).
She left and went in haste. In the final stage of Advent, let us be guided by these two verbs. To leave and to go in haste: these are the two movements that Mary made and that she invites us to make as well in preparation for Christmas. First and foremost, to leave. After the angel's announcement, a difficult period lay ahead for the Virgin: her unexpected pregnancy exposed her to misunderstandings and also to severe punishments, even to stoning, in the culture of the time. Imagine how many thoughts and worries she had! However, she did not become discouraged, she did not let herself be defeated, but she left. She did not look down at her problems, but up at God. And she did not think about whom she could ask for help, but about whom she could help. She always thought of others: that is how Mary is, she always thinks of the needs of others. She will do the same thing later, at the wedding in Cana, when she realizes there is a shortage of wine. It's a problem for others, but she thinks about it and strives to find a solution. Mary is always thinking of others. She thinks of us too.
Let us learn from the Virgin Mary this way of reacting: to leave, especially when difficulties threaten to overwhelm us. To leave, so as not to remain mired in problems, feeling sorry for ourselves, or falling into a paralyzing sadness. But why leave? Because God is great and is ready to lift us up if we reach out to Him. So, let us surrender to Him the negative thoughts, the fears that block all our impulses and prevent us from moving forward. Then, let us do as Mary did: let us look around us and seek people we can help! Are there elderly people I know to whom I can offer a little help, some companionship? Let each of us think about this. Or do someone a favor, a kind gesture, a phone call? But whom can I help? I leave and I help. By helping others, we will help ourselves to rise above our difficulties.
The second movement is to go with haste. This doesn't mean proceeding agitatedly, hastily, no, it doesn't mean that. Rather, it means conducting our days with a light step, looking ahead with confidence, without dragging our feet, enslaved by our complaints—these complaints spoil so many lives, because we begin to complain and life deteriorates. Lamentations lead you to always look for someone to blame. On her way to Elizabeth's house, Mary advances with the brisk step of someone whose heart and life are full of God, full of His joy. So let us ask ourselves, for our own benefit: what is my "step" like? Am I dynamic, or do I give in to melancholy, to sadness? Do I move forward with hope, or do I wallow in self-pity? If we walk with the weary step of lamentations and gossip, we will bring God to no one; we will bring only bitterness and gloom. On the contrary, it is good to cultivate a healthy sense of humor, as did, for example, Saint Thomas More or Saint Philip Neri. We too can ask for this grace, the grace of a healthy sense of humor: it does a great deal of good. Let us not forget that the first act of charity we can perform for our neighbor is to offer a serene and smiling face and bring them the joy of Jesus, as Mary did for Elizabeth.
May the Mother of God take us by the hand, help us to leave and hasten to Christmas!
POPE FRANCIS
ANGELUS
Saint Peter's Square
Sunday, December 19, 2021
Better understanding the Gospel
with Marie-Noëlle Thabut
Better understanding the Gospel
with Marie-Noëlle Thabut
YOU ARE BLESSED AMONG ALL WOMEN
We are still at the very beginning of Luke's Gospel; first, there were the two Annunciation accounts: to Zechariah for the birth of John the Baptist, then to Mary for the birth of Jesus; and now this account that we commonly call the "Visitation." All of this has the appearance of a family story, but we must not be mistaken: in fact, Luke is writing an eminently theological work; we must certainly give full weight to the central sentence of this text: "Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and cried out with a loud voice"; this means that it is the Holy Spirit himself who speaks to announce, right from the beginning of the Gospel, what will be the great news of the entire Gospel of Luke: the one who has just been conceived is the "Lord."
And what are these words that the Spirit inspires in Elizabeth? “Blessed are you”… “blessed is the fruit of your womb”: which means God acts in you and through you, and God acts in your son and through your son. As always, the Holy Spirit is the one who allows us to discover in our lives and in the lives of others, all others, the trace of God’s work.
Luke is certainly also aware that Elizabeth's words, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb," at least partially echo a phrase from the Old Testament. It is found in the Book of Judith (Jdt 13:18-19): when Judith returns from her expedition to the enemy camp, where she beheaded General Holofernes, she is welcomed back to her camp by Uzziah, who says to her, "Blessed are you, my daughter, by the Most High God, more than all the women on earth; and blessed be the Lord God!"
Mary is thus compared to Judith: and the juxtaposition of these two phrases suggests that Mary is the victorious woman who secures humanity's ultimate victory over evil. Clearly, this account by Luke is not merely anecdotal!
Incidentally, we cannot help but compare Elizabeth's strength of speech to Zechariah's muteness! Because she is filled with the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth has the strength to speak; whereas, as you remember, Zechariah could no longer speak after the angel's visit because he had doubted the words that announced the birth of John the Baptist to him.
As for the future John the Baptist, he too expressed his joy: Elizabeth tells us that he "leapt for joy" in his mother's womb as soon as he heard Mary's voice. It must be said that he too was filled with the Holy Spirit: remember the angel's words to Zechariah: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to name him John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth... he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb."
THE NEW ARK OF THE COVENANT
I return to Elizabeth's words: "Why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" She too refers us to an episode from the Old Testament: the arrival of the Ark of the Covenant in Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:1-16). When David had established himself as king in Jerusalem, when he had a palace worthy of the king of Israel, he considered bringing the Ark of the Covenant up to this new capital. But he was torn between fervor and fear; so there was a first stage marked by enthusiasm and joy: "David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. Then he set out; with all the people who accompanied him… to bring up the ark of God… They loaded the ark of God onto a new cart… David and all the house of Israel danced before the Lord, to the sound of cypress wood instruments, lyres and harps, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals.
But then an incident occurred that reminded David that one does not lay hands on God with impunity: a man who had laid hands on the ark without authorization died immediately. Fear then gripped David, and he said, “How can the Ark of the Lord come to my house?” So the journey stopped there: David thought it wiser to abandon his plan and stored the Ark in the house of a certain Obed-edom, where it remained for three months. But then something new happened: word spread that the presence of the ark brought happiness to that house. David was reassured. So he decided to bring the ark to Jerusalem. The Bible recounts: “David and all the people of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouts of joy and the sound of the trumpet.” "Overcome with joy and emotion, David danced before the ark: we are told that he 'danced before the LORD, whirling with all his might.'"
We can think that Luke was happy to accumulate in the account of the Visitation the details which recall this account of the ascent of the Ark to Jerusalem: the two journeys, that of the Ark, that of Mary take place in the same region, the hills of Judea; the Ark enters the house of Obed-Edom and brings happiness there (2 Sam 6:12), Mary enters the house of Zechariah and Elizabeth and brings happiness there; the Ark remains three months in this house of Obed-Edom, Mary will remain three months with Elizabeth; finally David danced before the Ark (the text tells us that he "leapt and whirled") (2 Sam 6:16), and Luke notes that John the Baptist "leapt for joy" before Mary who is carrying the child.
All of this is not accidental, of course. Luke invites us to contemplate in Mary the new Ark of the Covenant. Now, the Ark of the Covenant was the place of God's Presence. Mary, therefore, mysteriously carries within her this Presence of God; henceforth, God dwells in our humanity: "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us."
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Complement
But for God's plan to be fulfilled, Mary's faith was necessary: "Blessed is she who believed that what was spoken to her from the Lord would be fulfilled." It's hard to believe: the great work of the Master of the universe depends on our good will (and, in this case, on Mary's "yes"): how can we not join her, at her cousin's house, in singing the Magnificat: "The Mighty One has done great things for me, holy is his name!"