When my sister and I were toddlers, we would play “Friend Mommies.” Friend Mommies would involve us pushing our baby doll strollers around, wearing our purses, and going on imaginary adventures with our babies! I now delight in these memories. It was our favorite game to play. I also delight in watching my nieces and nephew play with their babies in their strollers, and going on adventures. I hope my children will have the same joy.
On this 4th Sunday of Advent, we find Mary visiting her cousin Elizabeth in the Gospel. When they meet, they rejoice in being “Friend Mommies”- to-be. They appreciate with gladness, the miracle that is bearing a child. Both Mary and Elizabeth have experienced miracles with the expectation of their babies, but for different reasons. This friendship is beautiful. The feelings that both Mary and Elizabeth experience are well captured in this story because we can sense the joy and care each woman has for the other. Their friendship also foreshadows a friendship blooming in the next generation between their sons, Jesus and John the Baptist. Knowing that traveling in Jesus’ day was so treacherous, without motorized vehicles, GPS, nor modern footwear, it is even more remarkable that two expectant mothers could visit with one another at all. Mary must have been so uncomfortable traveling on foot at a great distance when pregnant, to visit Elizabeth. I wonder if this trip was good practice for her long trek to Bethlehem just before she gave birth? Either way, I don’t think that I would have enjoyed such a trek.
I have always been moved by the image and feeling around “the infant in my womb leapt for joy,” [Luke 1:44] and I eagerly await the feeling of a baby in my womb leaping for joy! I too am expecting a long-awaited baby, and I am filled with joy. I haven’t had the delight of feeling my baby move yet, and I know that will come soon… I’ve already been expecting for so long, and I still have an even longer amount of time to wait. In this Advent time of waiting, I am full of hope, joy, and wonderment about the unknown experiences of having a baby. The first time I visited with a friend who is also pregnant, I felt a connection, comfort, and understanding that I hadn’t felt before. It must be similar to how Mary and Elizabeth felt. I imagine that unspoken knowing, and delighting in the miracle of life that God gives to us all, is what Mary and Elizabeth celebrated during their visit. This makes their meeting even more precious.
As we prepare for Christmas in just a few days, may your long and/or uncomfortable journeys be met with joy and a loving embrace.
May the God of life, who brings great joy, enter all our lives this Christmas and always. May we wait in joyful hope for the birth of Jesus during these remaining Advent days…
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