This Advent cycle of Readings has a slightly different emphasis than do the other two years in the cycle. We have heard from John the Baptizer over the past several weeks and now, as we enter this fourth week of the season, we once again meet John, but in a much different way. 

We have by-passed the accounts of the Annunciation of both the Birth of Jesus and John, and moved to the Visitation. Mary, having received the message from Gabriel that she is to be the Mother of the Messiah, learned also that her elderly relative, Elizabeth, was also to give birth to a son. This son, named John by the Angel Gabriel, would himself play an important role within Salvation History. After the Annunciation, Mary leaves her home in Nazareth, and makes the arduous trek to EinKarem, a small village in the Judean hills, to assist Elizabeth during her pregnancy. 

There is a beautiful encounter between these two women as Mary enters the house of Elizabeth. While Mary knows of the coming of John through the angel, we are not sure how Elizabeth knew, not only that Mary was expecting, but that she was to be the Mother of the Messiah.  Elizabeth expresses her profound humility that the Mother of the Lord would come to her. This is itself a beautiful and simple expression of the teaching of each of their sons. These two women rejoice in the Lord’s great favor to them and share their joy together. 

While neither of them knew exactly how, they do know that their sons are the expression of God’s love for his people and his faithfulness to the covenant. 

In keeping with the underlying image of Mary as the Ark of the New Covenant that seems to characterize Luke’s understanding of her, the pre-nascent John leaps in his Mother’s womb at the sound of Mary’s greeting. This points us to the significant moment in the history of Israel when King David danced before the Lord with great abandon as the Ark of the Covenant entered the city of Jerusalem for the first time. This was the reflection of his great joy that the Lord would choose to come to him; to take up residence (as it were) in Jerusalem. Now, before the Ark of the New Covenant, this last of the Jewish prophets, leaps at the presence of the Lord. 

Mary and Elizabeth, presumably both descendants of David, share not only in his kingship, but also in his priesthood. Beginning with David, and continuing through his descendants in Jerusalem, the kings took on priestly role. Donning the ephod, the kings offered sacrifice at the Temple on the high holy days. While neither John nor Jesus ever offers sacrifice at the Temple, although John had every right to as the son of a priest, Zechariah, they both become martyrs for the Kingdom of God. John is beheaded by Herod Antipas, and Jesus becomes the sacrifice of the New Covenant through the Paschal Events. Jesus is the sacrifice, replacing the Temple.

It will be another 30 years before we see Jesus and John together again. While John does not “leap for joy” in the external sense, we see his great joy at the sight of the messiah, for he knows that salvation is at hand.

All of this is foreshadowed here in this passage. We await now, not just the celebration of Christmas, but the fulfillment of the promises made through Abraham.

Father Garry Koch is pastor of St. Benedict Parish, Holmdel.