Reflection for the 4th Monday of Advent
Mary set out in those days and traveled to the hill country in haste where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb. Lk 1:39-45
by Dorothy Webster Hawklsey
The scriptures for today turn to the visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth. Mary had just received the news from the angel Gabriel that she is with child. Elizabeth, once thought barren in her old age, is now in her sixth month. Upon hearing the news that her cousin is with child, Mary proceeds to the hill country in haste.
The two women exemplify ‘presence’, both recognizing the presence of God acting in their lives as well as being present and attentive to another person. The days surrounding our Christmas celebrations are an invitation to practice both types of presence.
The accompanying image of a watercolor depicting the visitation is one of my favorites. It was painted by Dorothy Webster Hawksley about seventy-five years ago. It beautifully illustrates ‘presence’.
One of the reasons I like this painting is that on the surface it appears rather ordinary. There are no halos, no crowns, no stars. There is no beam of light shining from the sky. No superimposed images of infants in the womb.
It is simply a picture of a wizened old lady and an innocent young girl. The sky is blue. There are some hills on the horizon. The clothing is simply made. The colors are not bright pastels, but natural earth tones. What stands out, however, is the intense presence they share, and the reality that this is not some chance encounter but one laden with significance.
As I look at the picture, I wonder: Is it possible to look at each encounter I have with another person as having the same kind of potential – part of the intentional plan of God and one possibly budding with significance?
‘Presence’ fills this painting. I look at the right hands of Mary and Elizabeth. Their right hands are joined. This simple gesture shows one type of presence. It shows support given between two people who have been thrust in the long-awaited plan of God’s salvation. God has turned their lives upside down, and being present sometime means coming together to prop each other up.
The left hand of Mary sits upon the back of right hand of Elizabeth. This is a gesture of encouragement. Even though Elizabeth is advanced in years, the hand of Mary seems to be saying to her, “It’s going to be alright”. Another way to be present to another is to show understanding and give comfort.
The left hand of Elizabeth is raised slightly in the manner of a blessing. “Blessed are you who believed.” These words echo throughout the centuries to every believer who places his or her life in the presence of God. In the company of another, I too can try to be a blessing, a gift.
The face of Mary portrays youth and innocence, a trusting and obedient ‘handmaid of the Lord’. Her head is bowed, as if to receive the blessing from Elizabeth. Her eyes are closed, attentive to the presence of both God and the presence of her elderly cousin during this special moment.
The gaze of Elizabeth is intense. After Mary’s greeting, scripture says she is ‘filled with the Holy Spirit’. She no longer sees her young cousin. Her penetrating gaze sees the mother of her Lord. In this simple visit from her cousin, she sees the plan of salvation unfolding before her very eyes. Looking beyond the superficial and deeply into the heart of another is also a way of being present.
This is an ordinary picture of an extraordinary moment. God fills the insignificant with significance.
We sometimes expect God to work miracles with a big sweep of the brush. Big problems require big solutions. No. God often works miracles through the insignificant, the small, and the overlooked. God often places people in my path in the ordinary day-to-day activities, to set the stage for the next miracle. Too many times I miss the moment.
Like Mary and Elizabeth, we sit perched on the threshold of something magnificent. Let’s make the most of our presence this week.