The wait is almost over, and Christmas is only a few days away. It’s a moment to recommit and prepare for the wonderful Feast of Christmas.

The first reading is from the Prophet Michah who prophesied in Judah during the second half of the eighth century B.C. He names Bethlehem as the birthplace of the Messiah. Michah says that the Messiah will be shepherd and king, and his kingdom will be a kingdom of peace. He Himself will be peace. Christ is our peace.  Peace means wholeness. If we are not at peace with God, then we can’t be at peace with ourselves or with others.

We grow in union with God through prayer. All our prayers must come from the heart. We must see and feel with our mind, our will, our heart, our soul the reality we address in prayer. It can’t just be prayer of the intellect but should be affective prayer. Our Heavenly Mother forms us more and more to prayer of the heart, through the Holy Rosary. This leads us to peace of heart. Then we can become instruments of peace. The devil tries to rob our hearts of peace and to spread discord, misunderstandings and division amongst families and communities. The sign of Our Lady’s triumph is mutual love.

In the Sacrament of Confession (or Divine Mercy) our sins are forgiven, and we experience this peace that the Lord gives. In the Holy Mass, we receive Our Lord in Holy Communion. He is present Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Eucharist. This is the sacrament of Communion with Christ and the effects of this encounter with Our Lord, depend on our dispositions. With the grace of the Sacraments, we can start to see others with the eyes of Christ and not just judge on appearances. God became flesh to save us and so that we could have a personal relationship with Jesus, who is Peace. God has put on our humanity. 

This reminds me of the story of a little boy who was afraid of thunderstorms. One night in the depth of winter, there was a particularly violent thunderstorm and lighting was flashing outside. The crash of thunder sent a shudder down the child’s spine, as he huddled beneath the covers, terrified and feeling very alone.  During a momentary lull in the storm, he gathered up enough courage to leap out of bed and sprint down the hallway to his parent’s room. He hurtled into his parent’s bed and hugged his mother. She hugged him back and when he stopped shaking, she asked him a question:

Why didn’t you pray to God, when you were so afraid in your room? 

He replied: I tried to, but I needed something with skin on it.

When it comes to peace, we need something with skin on it to give us the guarantee that peace is possible. This is why the promise of Michah in the first reading is so wonderful: 

He will be our peace.

So, peace is a Person, Jesus Christ, something with skin on it.

In today’s Gospel, Our Lady visits her cousin Elizabeth after being informed by the Archangel Gabriel at the Annunciation that the elderly Elizabeth whom people called barren, was now six months pregnant.  Mary acts out of charity, forgetful of self and knowing that her cousin will need help with the birth of John. Elizabeth and Zechariah lived at a place which is called today: “Ain Karem” in the hill country. It would have been a difficult journey of around eighty of more kilometres from Nazareth.

As soon as Mary’s greeting reached the ears of Elizabeth, the child leapt in Elizabeth’s womb at receiving the grace of Baptism and freedom from Original Sin. Elizabeth in turn was filled with the Holy Spirit and she gave a loud cry and said: 

Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? 

So here Elizabeth recognizes the pregnant Mary as Mother of God.

Modern medical science shows that at twenty-five weeks the baby in the womb, has the ability, to hear like that of an adult and can discern the moods and attitudes of its mother.  Only three people were born without Original Sin, Jesus, Mary and St John the Baptist. But only two were conceived without Original Sin, Jesus and Mary. St John the Baptist was sanctified in the womb of his mother Elizabeth and received the grace for his mission as precursor of the Lord. Each mother gives a body to her child, but the immortal soul is infused by God at the very moment of conception. This is why abortion is such a great crime against justice, because it denies the God-given right to life, of the unborn child who is made in God’s image.

We can imagine Mary and Joseph setting out now for Bethlehem, which was about a four-day journey from Nazareth. Let’s be especially close to Mary, Mother of God and our Spiritual Mother, by praying the Rosary each day, from the heart. The words of the Hail Mary are scriptural. They include the words of the Archangel at the Annunciation and the words of Elizabeth at the Visitation, and as Mother of God, we ask Her to pray for us now and at the hour of our death. Let’s meditate especially on the Incarnation of the Word, the greatest event in the history of the word.  Wishing you a Holy Christmas and a healthy and blessed New Year! Praise be Jesus Christ, now and forever.