Scripture Reflections for the Fourth Sunday of Advent
Year C, Lectionary 12
There is joy when people of God come together. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit and go in haste to join others holding God inside of themselves, we bring heaven here on earth. Mary and Elizabeth carry the divine within and together spread forth God's plan of bringing us back to God. Are we able to do the same?
Hate feeling lost on Sundays at church? Searching for a better explanation of the Bible than what you hear from your pastor's sermon? Check out the following collection of audio, video, and text commentaries from various Christian experts for a better understanding of today's scripture that deal with: Advent • Anger • Ark of the Covenant • Assent • Bethlehem • Birth • Body • Charity • Christmas • Coming • Community • Connection • Courage • Covenant • David • Elizabeth • Encounter • Eve • Expectation • Faith • Family • Fear • Focus • Gift • Grace • Haste • History • Holy Spirit • Hope • Humble • Humility • Incarnation • John the Baptist • Journey • Justice • Kingdom • Mary • Mission • Music • Obedience • Plan • Power • Prayer • Presence • Priority • Prophecy • Rachel • Racism • Respond • Sacrifice • Sight • Support • Trust • Unity • Value • Women • Works •
“And here what we see being expressed is a very important Old Testament idea, namely that animal sacrifice in the Old Covenant was ultimately about a kind of visible ritual expression of obedience to God”
“Mary is not the only one responsible for carrying Jesus around. As Christians we should all make a home for Jesus in us.”
“And so all of us are called to be like Mary and carry Jesus into the world. But we're all called to be like Elizabeth too, to name Jesus when we see it in one another.”
“Mary and Elizabeth’s meeting is the prophetic defiant joy that God is not only among these women but within these women”
“An empty womb, an empty net, an empty tomb. God seems to like working with empty spaces. And so if you were looking for a new manifestation of God in your life, look into the empty womb and empty tombs of your life.”
“Like Elizabeth and Mary, will we too be full of grace? How will we labor with God who brings down the powerful and lifts up the lowly so that as brothers and sisters we may live together in equality and dignity as one family of God?”
“And this, of course, is why Mary is blessed. She above all people opened her heart and responded to God’s word with obedience and trust.”
“God is saying 'the only sacrifice I'm looking for from you is to see the gift that you are so that you can then give someone else a true treasure'”
“Our faith is full of surprises, Church family, full of surprises. Let's not skip over that, let's not forget the surprises that we are given because that is grace, that is faith, that is love and joy and peace and hope. Be excited.”
“It was this community of women that infused in both Jesus and John these virtues and qualities that made them who they are”
“just notice that Bethlehem-Ephrathah echoes the story of the place where Rachel was buried”
“he taught them the importance of not focusing on your mistakes in life or what you used to do but you focus on the possibilities in life and what God wants you to do”
“They sang not from their own accomplishments but from the engagement of God, who loves, who forgives, who redeems, and who renews them”
“Elizabeth was able to recognize what was unique in Mary not by flesh and blood but by the Holy Spirit that filled her”
“these two women exchanging love and blessings. And Mary coming to do service but the service that Mary gives is not just giving a gift to her...not something she bought...she gives herself away in service”
