God in Our Midst: The Joy of Advent Fulfilled
December 21, 2024 - Saturday of the Third Week of Advent
Zep 3:14-18a; Ps 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21; Luke 1:39-45
The liturgy of the Word today offers us a choice of readings from either the Song of Songs or the book of Zephaniah. My reflection will focus on Zephaniah, where the prophet conveys God’s message to Israel during the reign of King Josiah in the 7th century BC. Amid prophecies of judgment on Judah, Jerusalem, and surrounding nations, a ray of hope shines: "Shout for joy, Daughter of Zion" (Zeph. 3:14).
In Christian tradition, this verse (Zephaniah 3:14-18a) foreshadows the Lord’s arrival. We read it also on the feast of the Visitation, pointing to the moment Zephaniah’s words — “the Lord your God is in your midst” — found fulfillment when Mary responded to Gabriel with “Let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). Bearing Jesus, she brought the Lord into the presence of Elizabeth. Elizabeth's words, “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled” (Luke 1:45), reveal Mary’s great faith. In her, we see the patient, faithful longing of those awaiting God’s promise. At last, “the Lord our God is in our midst.”
When Mary greeted Elizabeth, the era of waiting for the Messiah ended, and a new era of fulfillment began, as all God’s promises in the Old Testament came to life in Jesus Christ. Two things happened at that greeting: the six-month-old John leapt for joy in Elizabeth’s womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. How could a simple greeting, “Shalom”—peace—have such an effect? Because, in Mary’s voice, Elizabeth experienced the presence of God, who is Peace itself (Judges 6:24). Mary quite literally brought God to Elizabeth’s home.
John’s leap for joy was more than a feeling; it was a prophecy. “Leap for joy” is the same phrase Jesus used when he encouraged us to rejoice when persecuted for his sake, for our reward in heaven will be great (see Luke 6:22-23). John, indeed, would later face persecution for his role in preparing the way for Jesus.
By bringing Jesus into the world, Mary, the daughter of Zion, brought hope and the assurance that not all is lost. His arrival speaks of God’s love for us: “The Lord annulled the judgment against” us (Zeph. 3:15). Jesus comes to restore, remove shame, unite us, and break down the walls of division. He gathers us from all corners of the earth, making us one people in him.
Today, the psalmist invites us to give thanks through music, singing, shouting with joy, and playing instruments (Psalm 33:2-3). In the Gospel, Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cries out in praise of Mary. Later in the Christmas story, there are more songs: Mary’s Magnificat, Zechariah’s Benedictus, the angels' song of Glory to God, and Simeon's Nunc Dimittis when he sees the Messiah. Each of these songs was new at the moment of its singing, marking the fulfillment of God's promise to humanity: the long-awaited offspring of the woman had finally come to set us free from evil.
There’s a saying, “A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer; it sings because it has a song.” As believers, we have the most beautiful song—the good news of a God who loves us so much that he came to save us. So let us sing that song with joy and conviction, drawing more people to Jesus, the mighty Savior who renews us in his love (Zeph. 3:17). In this Advent season, may our song of praise echo the hope, joy, and renewal that Christ brings, as we prepare to welcome him anew into our world and our hearts.