Fourth Week of Advent

FOURTH WEEK OF ADVENT

Fourth Sunday of Advent Gospel

In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘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? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.’

Luke 1:39-45

English Standard Version Catholic Edition (ESVCE)

Weekly Reflection
Adelaide Di Maggio
Policy and Research Analyst - Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales

Pilgrimage is a school of active discernment

When discerning our vocation or God’s will, we often fall into the trap of overthinking. This means constantly reinterpreting past events or trying to predict the future, because we want to make sure that we ‘get it right’. We stop focusing on the now and end up standing still, unable to move in any direction. On the contrary, however, discernment is an active disposition, which can only be done in the present. It is the decisions and actions we undertake everyday, which ultimately lead us to a destination.

Even if it is often chosen as a space to help us ‘stop and reflect’, going on pilgrimage can help us develop a disposition of active discernment. On pilgrimage we walk only in one direction and one path at a time, not many. We move from decision and action to another decision and action without pondering too much: taking a step, taking a break, turning right, or turning left. We cannot look back or stand still, no matter the difficulty. If we get lost or slow down, we try to get back on the right path and catch up. Otherwise, we will never reach our destination.

As a chronic overthinker, I found that during my pilgrimages, there was no time to stop and analyse every problem or choice. My days were filled with prayers, meditations, and mass, and I was constantly racing against the sunset to reach my accommodation. This forced me to focus my thoughts on the present, whether it was the beautiful landscapes and churches, prayer, scorching sun, cold rain, or painful blisters. Reaching the destination brought always overwhelming joy and gratitude for the sacrifice made.

I like to think that this was the attitude of Our Lady in this week’s gospel passage. After giving her ‘fiat’ to the Lord through the angel, she went on to fulfil her next task ‘in haste’. She did not know where God was leading her life toward, all she knew was that was to bear a child and that her relative was pregnant and needed help. Ultimately she was assured in her decision as she was blessed by St. Elisabeth upon her arrival.

Let us pray for the same active and prayerful attitude to our own discernment and let us take the opportunity to go on pilgrimages, big or small, to grow stronger in this virtue.

Prayer

Lord, as we enter the Fourth Week of Advent and anticipate Christ’s arrival, we give thanks for this time of preparation, to ready ourselves as we journey to the stable and beyond. We continue to be open to where you are guiding us on our journey, as we open our hearts and minds to following you more closely and discerning your call.

Amen