This coming Sunday is the 4th Sunday of Advent. In previous posts we explored the background of the first reading from the Prophet Micah: “But you, Bethlehem-Ephrathah too small to be among the clans of Judah, From you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel” But before delving into our gospel text, it is good to recall the flow of Luke’s narrative: an interweaving of the stories of births of the herald of the Messiah, John the Baptist, and the Messiah, Jesus to tell a single story of redemption.

“Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the events that have been fulfilled among us… I too have decided, after investigating everything accurately anew, to write it down in an orderly sequence for you, most excellent Theophilus.” (Luke 1:1,3)

The stories of John and Jesus are woven together with repeated references to Gabriel, shared narrative elements and scriptural allusions, markers noting time’s passage during the pregnancies, letting us know that Elizabeth and Mary’s are related, and other ways in which the divine hand lies behind their pregnancies. It creates the orderly sequence promised to Theophilus and shown in the section titles of the New American Bible:

• Announcement of the Birth of John
• Announcement of the Birth of Jesus
• Mary visits Elizabeth

Green [93] provides us with the insight that: “On the one hand, Gabriel has promised that Mary will conceive; the realization of that promise is not reported directly (cf. v 24), but assumed in the responses to Mary’s conception by Elizabeth and Mary. Luke has thus carried us from the narrative possibility to an (implicit) event to its results. On the other hand, Gabriel anticipates the birth and names the future role of a son—a possibility made probable by the narration of the fulfillment of the sign also promised to Mary. Along with the preceding account of Elizabeth’s divinely assisted pregnancy, this leads us to anticipate the event of Jesus’ birth and responses to it, along with his future, messianic role. Hence, even as the current scene completes one narrative thread, it keeps us looking forward to the completion of another. Indeed, the current scene opens up new possibilities as it develops further the nature of Jesus’ perpetual reign with its suggestive identification of Mary’s unborn child as “my Lord” (v 43) and celebration of God’s revolutionary activity (vv 46–55).”

39 During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, 42 cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43 And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” (Luke 1:39-45)

While we might not think of undertaking a journey as being that remarkable, we need to be mindful that as a young girl, Mary would not normally have left her home without accompaniment—either locally or to travel some seventy miles from Nazareth to the hill country around Jerusalem. Until her marriage, a young girl lived in the confines and security of her family home. It is also noteworthy that Mary’s journey is not in obedience to the angel, who gave no such command.

The reason for  Mary’s visit to her relative Elizabeth can be found in an earlier proclamation of the Angel Gabriel: “And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” (Luke 1:36-37). And so Mary sets out.

“During those days” and “in haste” indicate the immediacy of Mary’s trip after hearing the angel’s message, Mary goes to Elizabeth presumably to confirm the angel’s word about Elizabeth’s pregnancy (1:36-37) and perhaps share in her joy. It could be understood as a sign of Mary’s faith – “I’m going to see what God has done with Elizabeth;” or a testing of the angel’s message – “I’m going to see if what the angel said about Elizabeth is true.” Perhaps it was obvious to Mary when she entered the room that what the angel had told her about Elizabeth was true. It also became obvious to Elizabeth that there was something special about Mary and the baby she was carrying. Her knowledge didn’t come from an angel, but from a kick in her womb! (Brian Stoffregen)

Image credit: The Visitation | Giotto | Lower Church of the Basilica of St. Francis | Assisi, Italy | PD-US