A good Sunday to all.

The liturgy today proposes an episode, apparently marginal to the life of Mary, her visit to Elizabeth, who received from God the desired gift of motherhood. When in the past the gospel was read as a story in the life of Jesus, this episode was interpreted simply as a courteous gesture from Mary, who, thinking that her cousin Elizabeth had need of her, she immediately set out on her way to help her. A marginal detail.

The Greek word does not say 'cousin', it says 'sünguenís', which simply means relative. If we consider that Mary was about 14 years old and Elizabeth is presented to be at a very advanced age, more than a cousin, we can think of a close great aunt. This is a marginal detail,

Read as a chronicle of a fact, it seems to me that this episode does not have a great message to give. In the past, it was limited to highlighting the readiness of Mary to run to the aid of Elizabeth. As a chronicle, the story raises some questions. Even in the past, for example, one wondered how it was possible for them to leave Nazareth. Mary alone and the journey involved risks of all kinds for a teenager. Some argue that she could have been accompanied by Joseph whom the Gospel does not speak of In fact, many artists have included Joseph in the picture, as in the painting you see at my back. Nor is it understood how Mary left Elizabeth at the moment of childbirth.

The Gospel text says that three months later she returned home. In other words, she went home just when Elizabeth was most in need of assistance. Also, in Ein Karem, where tradition locates the house of Zacharias, there was no lack of expert, mature friends of Elizabeth that a help from a teenager is necessary. Taken as a chronicle, this episode does not have much to say. Therefore, we will try to understand the message by paying close attention to the language of the evangelist who has biblical references that we must grasp.

Let us listen to the text:

 

“In those days, 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, 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.’"

 

Let examine this text carefully to discover the message that the evangelist wants to give us. We begin with the reference to time: 'In those days.' And the reference as to what has happened immediately before, that is, the Annunciation of the angel to Mary. The angel had told her: "The power of the Most High will cover you with his shadow." What does Luke mean by introducing the image of the ‘shadow’ that covers Mary? It is not the physical shadow.

It clearly refers to the shadow of the cloud, which during the Exodus had covered the Ark of the Covenant. What does the shadow indicate in the Bible, in the Old Testament? It indicates the presence of God. The Ark contained the tables of the alliance which were the sign of God's presence. Luke wants to tell us that the ark where God is really present is no longer that wooden box, covered with gold, That had accompanied the people of Israel in the desert and who had then been placed in the temple. God is no longer present in this ark. The new Ark of the Covenant, on which this 'shadow' rests is now Mary. In Mary, the Word has been incarnated, the Word, the Son of God, and what this girl does is set it in motion.

As soon as the word has been received, the Son of God has sprouted in her that Mary feels the need to go to meet Elizabeth who is also involved like her in God's design. Mary goes with enthusiasm. She feels the need to run to tell someone who can understand about her extraordinary experience. At this moment, we can stop to reflect on our life.

Luke is writing for the Christian communities that have received the gospel, Christ, the Word. What should they do? They must be like Mary. The Word has become incarnate in this community... When we accept the gospel, this Word is embodied in us, as it was incarnated in Mary. Therefore, what should these Christian communities do? They should behave like Mary. If you have gone through such experience, you should experience this need to tell what has happened in your life; you have made the experience of this inner transformation. The community has been transformed into sons and daughters of God. If you have not gone through such experience, the announcement will be made with little enthusiasm and, therefore, with less result.

And Mary leaves for the mountainous region towards a town of Judea. It is the road from Nazareth to that town where the house of Zechariah is. The Byzantine Christian tradition has located the place in Ein Karem, one of the most beautiful places in Israel. It is surrounded by mountains, south west of Jerusalem with vineyards, abundant water. And there is also a fountain where the encounter between Mary and Elizabeth took place; this fountain dates from the time of Jesus.

This allusion of Mary who leaves for the mountain refers to another episode in the Old Testament, in the second book of Samuel. The Ark of the Covenant had been captured by the Philistines, and stayed with them for 20 years, in the plain of Sharon, specifically in a place named Kiryat Ye’arim. Today that place is called Abu Ghosh. When David defeated the Philistines, what did he plan to do? He ordered to bring this Ark of the Covenant and to take it to the mountain, to Jerusalem. The Byzantines built a church in this place in the fifth century. Then, at the beginning of the 900, on the ruins of this Byzantine church, it was built the church that currently exists. It dominates the entire region.

The interesting thing is that it was dedicated to Mary, the "Ark of the Covenant". It is a clear allusion to the place where the Philistines had placed the Ark of the Covenant. Now the Christians built a church to the true Ark of the Covenant, the one in whose bosom the Son of God has been begotten. Before moving it to the Temple Mount, David had it repaired and he placed it in the house of a certain Obed-Edom (2 Sam 6:12) and the Ark of the Covenant remained there for three months. That house was full of blessings: a united family, happy, there was no disease, abundant harvest, large family. In summary, everything worked well in Obed-Edom because the Ark of the Covenant had entered the house. And David decides to take it to Jerusalem.

What happens when Mary, the true Ark of the Covenant, enters the house of Zechariah? The first thing she should have done is to greet Zacharias, the head of the house. Instead, the gospel says that 'entering the house of Zacharias, she greeted Elizabeth. This greeting is important. It's not a simple 'good morning'. For the greeting was 'shalom', 'peace' and the evangelist highlights it. Upon hearing this greeting, the Baptist took a leap of joy in the mother's womb. What is the meaning of this greeting? 'Shalom', peace, indicates the cluster of God's blessings. Imagine this teenage girl who pronounces this word: 'Shalom'.

Read in the light of the Scripture this word remembers all the promises of blessing that would be fulfilled at the coming of the Messiah. With this 'Shalom' Mary has announced that the time of God's abundant blessings has begun. Remember Psalm 72: "In his day justice will flourish and 'shalom' will abound peace and posterity until the moon is gone" (Ps 72:7). Isaiah, in chapter 9 says: 'The Messiah will be the prince of peace' (Is 9:5). And the text of the prophet Zechariah is very beautiful, in chapter 9 when he says to Israel: "Shout for joy Jerusalem: look at your king who is coming... the warrior’s bow will be broken when he dictates peace to the nations. He will reign from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth" (Zec 9:10).

On the lips of Mary, the word 'shalom' is a solemn proclamation, it is the announcement that the expected Messiah has come to the world, the new time has begun.
The message for us: Like Mary, today the disciples should announce 'shalom.' If you have incarnated in yourself the Word, if you have incarnated the Gospel, you are the Arks of the Covenant that lead to Christ. And when you enter a house (Jesus will say) the first thing you should say is: I came to bring you peace. To announce the 'shalom.' We feel many times that people say: 'I do not have peace'. But he or she who has incarnated the Word has become a true disciple of Christ and resembles Mary.

In every house... and the house can be the heart of every person who does not have peace. The Christian must be like Mary: 'I came to bring you the shalom, peace’. "Upon hearing this greeting, the Baptist took a leap of joy in the mother's womb.” This is also an allusion to what happened when the Ark of the Covenant was moved to Jerusalem. It produced an explosion of joy, feasts, songs, dances. David started dancing before the Ark of the Covenant (2 Sam 6:14), ignoring what some people said that it was not worthy of the dignity of the sovereign (2 Sam 6:16).

Another message for us today: where goes the one who carries the Lord, the Gospel, there should arise love, peace, joy, celebration, dancing.
There was in the past a catechesis that presented the evangelical message covered with a heavy veil of sadness, of encouragement for suffering. NO. The gospel is only a source of joy and peace. True joy characterizes the messianic time. It had already been announced by Zachariah, by Gabriel: “There will be great joy, many will rejoice at his coming.” Remember also the announcement to the shepherds: 'I announce great joy to all the people.' And Simeon also says: "Now, Lord, you can let your servant go in peace because my eyes have contemplated the salvation that you have prepared in front of all peoples, light to enlighten the people."

Elizabeth is full of the Holy Spirit and exclaims: "Blessed are you among all women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb." The verb to 'bless',' barak, in Hebrew, means to recognize a source of life, of blessing. 'Barak' is linked to life. What does Elizabeth, “filled with the Holy Spirit,” say of Mary? You are a carrier of a blessed life more than any other woman, more than all women… the women of this world who give birth to a biological life. In Mary the life of the Eternal has entered; that life that has been communicated to all of us. Mary is recognized as the bearer of a life that goes beyond the life generated by all women.

And it continues later with a phrase that alludes, once again, to the Ark of the Covenant. "Who am I to be visited by the mother of my Lord?" It is exactly the phrase pronounced by David. When the Ark of the Covenant was taken to Jerusalem, David said: "To what do I owe ... what credit do I have? so that the Ark of the Covenant may come to me, where the Lord is present?”

From this episode, we can deduce another message. David had the Ark placed in the temple (the first temple, then Solomon built the second temple ... but the first temple was already there, where this Ark of the Covenant was placed). Why did David have the Ark of the Covenant placed in Jerusalem? Because the twelve tribes of Israel were not united and were fighting among themselves. David placed the Ark of the Covenant as a sign of unity of all the tribes.

Here is a message for us: Where the Ark of the Covenant settles, there is a call for love, reconciliation and peace, and such are possible when one carries within himself the incarnation of the gospel. Therefore, the call is for each one of us. A person should be seen as one who brings union, dialogue, peace, reconciliation. "Blessed you who believed!" It is the first beatitude of the Gospel. And it is addressed to Mary: "Blessed you!"

And it's interesting because the translation does not say: 'blessed you', but 'those'. Elizabeth, full of Spirit, says practically to all of us: 'Blessed you who, like Mary, trust the Word of the Lord.' It is the first beatitude and an invitation for us at the beginning of the new year, when at Christmas we will receive the Lord, the invitation to accept this blessing. Trust in this Word, because it will be this word that will bring us this 'shalom', peace, blessing, the summit of all goods. And this will be our mission: to bring this peace to the world.

I wish everyone a good week and a good preparation for the celebration of Christmas.