Dec 19th, 2021 Motjari meeting Fr. Foeckler’s lecture note

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Motjari Meeting Dec 19th, 2021

 

Today’s Gospel Lk 1:39-45

 

Mary set out

and traveled to the hill country in haste

to a town of Judah, 

where she entered the house of Zechariah

and greeted Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,

the infant leaped in her womb, 

and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, 

cried out in a loud voice and said, 

“Blessed are you among women, 

and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

And how does this happen to me, 

that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, 

the infant in my womb leaped for joy.

Blessed are you who believed

that what was spoken to you by the Lord

would be fulfilled.”

 

The previous Sunday’s Gospel about John the Baptists

 

Gospel

Lk 3:10-18

The crowds asked John the Baptist,
“What should we do?”
He said to them in reply,
“Whoever has two cloaks
should share with the person who has none. 
And whoever has food should do likewise.”
Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him,
“Teacher, what should we do?”
He answered them, 
“Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.”
Soldiers also asked him,
“And what is it that we should do?”
He told them,
“Do not practice extortion, 
do not falsely accuse anyone, 
and be satisfied with your wages.”

Now the people were filled with expectation, 
and all were asking in their hearts 
whether John might be the Christ.
John answered them all, saying, 
“I am baptizing you with water,
but one mightier than I is coming.
I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor
and to gather the wheat into his barn, 
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Exhorting them in many other ways, 
he preached good news to the people.

 

John the Baptist calls us to repent. Jesus mentioned that those who repent and get baptized by John the baptist are acknowledging the righteousness of God, but the Pharisees and scholars of the law who were not baptized by him, rejected the plan of God for themselves. See the gospel from the last Thursday, Lk 7:24-30, for details. 

 

When the messengers of John the Baptist had left,
Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John. 
“What did you go out to the desert to see  a reed swayed by the wind? 
Then what did you go out to see? 
Someone dressed in fine garments? 
Those who dress luxuriously and live sumptuously
are found in royal palaces. 
Then what did you go out to see? 
A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 
This is the one about whom Scripture says:

    Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
    he will prepare your way before you.

I tell you,
among those born of women, no one is greater than John;
yet the least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he.”
(All the people who listened, including the tax collectors,
who were baptized with the baptism of John,
acknowledged the righteousness of God;
but the Pharisees and scholars of the law,
who were not baptized by him,
rejected the plan of God for themselves.)

 

 

There are few things to prepare for Christmas, one of them is doing repentance.

 

Annunciation 

Lk 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
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.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.

 

Mary was conceived by the power of God.

Right after the angel leaves, Mary gathered her things and set her trip to Elizabeth. Mary was in Nazareth, Elizabeth was in Judah, that’s roughly 90 miles walk.

 

She was not advised to visit Elizabeth by the angel. Mary shows us how we prepare to meet Jesus. She visited an elderly cousin who was pregnant. She went to help her out. Elizabeth instantly knew Mary was also pregnant with a baby none other than God’s, by exclaiming ‘And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?’ =“Who am I the mother of my Lord should come to me?”

 

Mary stayed just three months and went back home. She did the work of charity. We were not told she did the dishes or she did the laundry. Mary takes time out her own schedule, goes out to help someone else. Many pregnant women go through a period sometimes called ‘nesting period’. But Mary gave up her time, did something for charity to Elizabeth. That’s something we need do for Christmas.

 

Mary’s greeting to Elizabeth filled Elizabeth with Holy Spirit. She cried out with loud voice filled with joy. First thing to start preparing for Christmas is to greet one another, talk to one another, pray together, and go to church together. But for us, Christians, us Catholics, saying Merry Christmas is a good way of start the charity for Christmas.

 

On Christmas, we get the world greatest gift we’ve ever get: Jesus! Your Savior have been born for you on Christmas. 

 

Mary also was praised that she had believed. Through her, the true God become a true man.

 

Yesterdays’ gospel.

 

Gospel

Mt 1:18-25

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. 
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. 
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly. 
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. 
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her. 
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.” 
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:

    Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
        and they shall name him Emmanuel,

which means “God is with us.” 
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home. 
He had no relations with her until she bore a son,
and he named him Jesus.

 

 

St. Paul said to Phillippians (4:9)

 

Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!

Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near.

Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.

Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Keep on doing what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me. Then the God of peace will be with you.

 

Mary showed us how to prepare for Christmas. Eucharist means “thanks giving”. Keep on doing what Mary showed us to do, then the God of peace will be with us.

 

Fr. Foeckler’s recommendation for Christmas movies:

 

“Christmas Carol (1951)” Alister Sim

“It’s a Wonderful Life”

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