“FIRST IMPRESSIONS”
4th SUNDAY OF ADVENT -C- Dec. 22, 2024

Micah 5: 1-4; Psalm 84;
Hebrews 10: 5-10; Luke 1: 39-45

by Jude Siciliano, OP

Dear Preachers:

We are just days away from Christmas, the celebration of the birth of the One who changed the world. But where are the trumpets, horns, and kettle drums announcing this momentous event? Today’s readings don’t match the grandeur we might expect. Instead, they are quiet, almost understated, in their anticipation of what is to come.

The prophet Micah predicts the arrival of a new ruler. Speaking to people enduring the Assyrian invasion 700 years before Christ, he addresses their despair over the nation’s depleted resources and defenses. Micah assures them that God has not forgotten them; a rescuer will come. But then, Micah surprises his audience with a “Bethlehem promise.” The savior will not emerge from grand Jerusalem, but from humble Bethlehem. This ruler will not be a mighty warrior but a child—a promise echoing God’s pattern of working through the small and unexpected. Bethlehem, the birthplace of David, Israel’s shepherd king, will once again be the site of God’s great deeds.

Today’s gospel also seems modest in comparison to the extravagant celebrations surrounding Christmas. The world has been abuzz for months—stores bustling, buildings glowing, and festive songs playing wherever we go. Yet Luke directs us to something simpler: the quiet power of God’s work in overlooked places.

The gospel narrative tells a family story about two pregnant cousins, Mary and Elizabeth—women of faith. Mary, having just encountered the angel Gabriel, visits Elizabeth. Elizabeth greets her with a profound declaration of faith: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” She sees what others might have missed: Mary’s extraordinary faith. Mary heard God’s word, trusted it, and acted on it, despite the uncertainties.

To the superficial observer, Mary might appear to be an unfortunate young woman in an unbelievable situation. Elizabeth, too, might simply seem like an elderly woman whose unexpected pregnancy shocked her family. Without faith, people missed the promises God had made through Micah and Gabriel.

This is our call during the Eucharist: to hear God’s word, trust in it, and act upon it. God supports us in this through Christ’s presence in both the Word and the Eucharist. It may seem like a small thing, but this is how God works: starting with the small and, with our consent, accomplishing the great. Elizabeth’s blessing for Mary is a blessing for us as well: “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” During Advent, we have repeatedly heard this theme: God makes promises and keeps them.

Elizabeth’s proclamation aligns with Micah’s prophecy: God works through the lowly and overlooked—two village women from a conquered people—to fulfill divine promises. God’s glory unfolds in unexpected ways, often unnoticed by those seeking power, numbers, or grandeur. To recognize God’s presence, we need eyes of faith, not the world’s limited vision. Our God is a God of surprises.

Many of us do not experience grand epiphanies of God’s presence. If we expect obvious, dramatic signs of God’s work in our lives, we will often be disappointed, especially during times of struggle. When we face our own “Assyrians,” we may feel abandoned. This is likely how the people felt in Micah’s time. But Micah reminds them—and us—that God is present, even when we’re looking in the wrong places or holding misguided expectations.

When I am struggling, I long for quick, concrete manifestations of God. But today’s readings urge me to look with faith. If I do, I will see that I am not alone in facing life’s challenges.

Have I noticed God’s care in family support, the encouragement of friends, the sacraments, prayer, or the simple determination to keep going? These may not seem like much, but God often works in small, quiet ways. As Bethlehem and two village women of faith show us, God’s transformative presence can emerge from the seemingly insignificant. Are we missing the signs of God’s work in our lives? Are we missing Someone?

As we approach the Eucharist today, let us give thanks for the faith that allows us to see what we might have otherwise overlooked: God-with-us, revealed in simple, everyday ways.

Click here for a link to this Sunday’s readings:
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/122224.cfm