This coming Sunday is the 4th Sunday in Advent in cycle C of the lectionary. The gospel, the final words from Elizabeth are: “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” (Luke 1:45)
Several weeks ago a blind man shouted out to Jesus, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!” (Mark 10:47). Similarly, words of Elizabeth are “cried out” (anaphoneo) with a “loud voice” (krauge megale). First Elizabeth “eulogizes” Mary and the “fruit of her womb.” Literally, the word eulogeo means “to speak well of,” then “to praise,” then “to bless,” and finally, it can refer to deeds that bring blessings, “to act kindly towards.” Continue reading