Leaping for Joy

Influenced by a society that struggles with patience, and during a time of year when there are many things to do, Advent is a greater gift than we may realize. This is because during this season we are invited into something we are often loathe to do, which is to wait. Yet it is in this waiting that the heart of Advent lies, offering a graced opportunity to come away from the noise to find a place of quiet. When we enter into Advent reflection God offers grace so that we can make peace with the waiting, keeping it focused on expectancy and anticipation rather than the temptations of anxiety and emptiness. Indeed, our lives are busy with preparations of every kind, and yet, here is the invitation to enter into waiting peacefully. This is one of Advent’s gifts: the opportunity to be attentive to the Scriptures we hear proclaimed during worship, (for reflection upon them), that we might intentionally begin each day looking for ways to enter into hopeful anticipation of the coming of Jesus who comes with “healing in His wings.” (paraphrase of Malachi 4:2)*

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Often, however, we miss out on another wonderful pathway simply because we do not pay attention to it: the prayers that our worship provides which are unique to the season and which offer a gateway into meditation on its mysteries. Let us begin with the Sunday Scriptures of this second half of Advent in which the aspect of waiting with hope is intensified. ** The Gospel for the third Sunday, (Gaudete Sunday), focuses on the baby who once leapt, John, now the baptizer, the Forerunner of Jesus. This Gospel event takes place long after the birth of Jesus, but it could not be more in keeping with the message of Advent: “Now the people were filled with expectation and all were asking in their heart whether John might be the Christ.” (Luke 3:10-18) At this point in the Gospel, Jesus is about to begin the mission for which He came, and John is pointing the way to Him. His example and ministry remain relevant in our lives as we are called to point the way to Christ for others, too. On the fourth Sunday the Gospel tells of Mary traveling to the hill country to visit Elizabeth. (Luke 1:39-45) *** When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, she cried aloud that the child in her womb (John) leapt for joy. Like Elizabeth, we are also invited into hearing the greeting of Mary pregnant with Jesus; it is a cause for joy to realize that what (or Who) we hope for is ‘on the way’ and is in fact imminent. Indeed, we know that our present waiting will come to an end with the Messiah’s return. Reflecting prayerfully upon this Gospel passage can be a way to open ourselves to this joy, to letting the Lord sweep out all that might have accumulated in our hearts in order to make room for Jesus to enter in.

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The Advent Preface prayers offered by the priest at the beginning of the Liturgy of the Eucharist at Mass are also excellent offerings for meditation and prayer. In the first two weeks he prays: “that… we who watch for that day may inherit the great promise in which now we dare to hope.” We are reminded to be watchful, that is, attentive and spiritually prepared, for God’s promise to be fulfilled. A watchful disposition is surely daring because this kind of hope is founded on our trust in God who has never left a promise unfulfilled. Indeed, it is freeing. In the 3rd and 4th weeks there are three lines in the Preface prayer to note. The first is that “the prophets foretold Him,” a reminder which helps to keep us attentive to the message within the Old Testament readings of the liturgy. Next is this line: “… the Virgin Mother longed for Him with love beyond all telling.” Mary’s longing should be ours, too. If we spend time with her, we can accept her invitation into the love she has for her Son which is beyond any description or expression; we can enter into this incredibly intimate experience with her. And finally: “John the Baptist sang of His coming and proclaimed His presence when He came.” We so often think of John as with fiery, wild-eyed persona, in his rough clothes and with hair and beard unkempt; therefore, to think of him singing is almost jarring, and wonderfully so. This image shows the real John, he of heart burning with love, hope, and joy… yes, joy. How could John the Baptist proclaim Jesus’ presence without joy? It is simply impossible that he would know Jesus from the womb and have lost the ability to still leap at His presence.

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My suggestion for the remainder of Advent is to enter into these Scripture passages and especially these lines of the Preface prayers. Try to imagine and reflect prayerfully upon Mary and Elizabeth, pregnant and waiting for the day their sons enter the world; join Mary while she is in silent prayer while experiencing love beyond all telling; imagine John leaping in his mother’s womb and then 30 years later leaping again while in song, joyful that the Holy One is about to make Himself known. That which they had hoped for was nigh, and that which we hope for is, too: the Lord is coming again. In our hope-filled waiting let us remember that we do not hope in something, but in Someone who is nothing less than the Son of God, one who comes as Malachi foretold: “…the sun of Justice will arise with healing in its wings.” 

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May we take the time to prayerfully reflect upon the Scriptures and prayers of Advent liturgy! May our hearts leap with joy at His coming! And may we persevere in our efforts to make a place for Him in the manger of our heart! Peace! Marana tha! Come!

​                        ©Michele L. Catanese

* In some Bibles the Book of Malachi is divided into three chapters, and therefore, in the New American Bible Revised Edition this verse is Malachi 3:20. In the Revised Standard Bible, Catholic Version, as well as many other Bible translations, Malachi is divided into 4 chapters; in those versions this verse is Malachi 4:2.

** Here are some passages from Isaiah that are in the liturgies during Advent this year: “He shall judge between the nations …. They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation…” (Is. 2:1-4) “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid…. and a little child shall lead them…. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain.” (Is. 11:1-9)  
“Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him…. let us be glad and rejoice in His salvation” (Is. 25:9) “You shall weep no more….” (Is. 30:18-19) “Comfort, comfort my people…. Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion herald of good tidings… Lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings!... Behold your God!” (Is. 40:1-11) And finally “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Emmanuel.” (Is. 7:14) Of course there are so many more, such as Isaiah 9 and 12. (The translation I have used is the RSV, Catholic version.)
By the end of Advent, we will have heard from Isaiah on 10 occasions through a combination of readings at daily and Sunday Masses. It is breath-taking that Isaiah was prophesying something he would never live to see, and therefore something he really could not have fully understood. – The reality of what actually happened is almost too marvelous even for those of us who have lived after Jesus came. Imagine, The Almighty choosing to become a vulnerable baby in a poor family! That is rather astonishing, if you really think about it. 

*** Gaudete means "Rejoice." I also want to give perspective to something which can go unnoticed unless one has been to the Holy Land: Mary’s trip from Nazareth to ‘the hill country,’ that is, the village of Ein Karem where Elizabeth lived, was not a short one. Ein Karem is almost all the way to Jerusalem, (and not that much further from there is Bethlehem). Thus, the pregnant Mary must have rejoiced at arriving at her destination both because she had finally arrived after an arduous journey and because she could be present with her cousin. A thought to ponder!

Images:
1. Icon; Mother of the Incarnate Word, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. If you are interested in purchasing a copy, this image can be found at  https://fineartamerica.com/featured/mother-of-the-incarnate-word-071-william-hart-mcnichols.html
2. My photo; rolling hills in the Holy Land.
3. Painting; St. John the Baptist, by Leonardo da Vinci. It was the smile of John the Baptist that drew me in; perhaps he had just leapt for joy?
4. My photo; sun over the water at Grand Cayman; the water photo may seem an odd one here, but it is the ‘sun of Justice’ reference that is intended.
5. Clip art; Advent Candles, Week 3, (when Gaudete rose candle is lit).

Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time. 

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