6th day of Novena Mass for Christmas – Mary Visits Elizabeth (Lk 1:39-45)

Choose to serve over being served

Introduction

- In this Christmas season we receive gifts. Once a man got a beautiful ‘barong’ as a gift for the Christmas. He thought of wearing it in special occasion and kept it in the cupboard and forgot about it. After a year while he was cleaning his room he saw that barong which was by then destroyed by moats and rest. This ‘mistake’ of keeping the gift and destroying it, is done by many of us.

- God has given us lots of gifts – our talents, health, and other abilities. Are we eager to use them or share them? If not it will be destroyed eventually.

- In today’s gospel Mary shows the example of spending her time and energy for a person who is in need and thus using the gifts of God in a meaningful way. Thus she proved to be ‘Great” or “blessed”.

Body

- Greatness or blessedness is achieved through two things;

1. Service

§ The example of Jesus washing the feet of the disciple during the last supper is a model of achieving greatness through serving the least of my brother and sister.

§ Mother Theresa of Calcutta became a great person by service, by using the God given talents and abilities for the poor and needy.

§ Mary shows us today the lessons of service, by serving Elizabeth, even though Mary was pregnant.

2. Other orientedness

§ An old wisdom – “If you want to be somebody, put others before yourself”

§ We are born with ego-centeredness. As we grow to maturity we learn to be other-oriented. That is why the children find happiness in receiving the gifts while the elderly find pleasure in giving gifts.

§ Greatness or blessedness depends on how far we give preference to ‘others’ in our life.

- The blocks that may hinder us in the growth towards this greatness can be;

· Laziness

§ Laziness is the mother of many other evil. It is a habit of postponing for some other day/time.

§ It is one of the trick that satan inspires in the heart of the good people so that no good will happen.

· Selfishness

§ Good relationships are built on ‘other-centeredness’.

§ We are called as a disciple of Jesus to share our life for others as our master did on the Cross. Jesus gave himself totally for us, and continues to nourish us by his body and blood in the Eucharist.

· Pride

§ It is against humility. Humility means accepting all the blessings that have been showered into our lives with a thankful heart and share it with others.

§ Mary would have thought – ‘I am the mother God’s son. Therefore why should I go to serve Elizabeth?’, but she never thought in this way, instead rushed to serve her cousin.

Conclusion

- God has called us to be great / blessed.

- Let us remember that blessedness consists in serve and other orientedness.

- Let us avoid Laziness, Selfishness and Pride from our lives and prepare for Christmas.