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_{4th Sunday of Advent
December 24, 2006}

I cannot define the Christmas spirit, but I know what it means. I think we all do. It is distinguished by cheerful kindness and unselfish generosity. It is just the opposite of the attitude of Charles Dickens' fictional character, Scrooge, who greeted Christmas with "Bah! Humbug!"

A real person, and not a fictional character, exemplifies the Christmas spirit. That person is Mary! She does so in an eminent manner in the story which forms the Gospel for this Fourth Sunday of Advent, an event which we call the Visitation.

Mary had just conceived Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. It all seemed impossible, just too good to be true. To give Mary assurance, the angel informed her that Elizabeth, her elderly relative, had also conceived and that she was already in her sixth month. Impossible? The angel said, "Nothing is impossible with God."

It was as if, however, Mary needed no assurance. As soon as she learned about Elizabeth, her thoughts turned immediately from the magnificent reality of what had just occurred in her womb and focused on her relative in need. She forgot about herself. She spent not even a moment in reflecting on how blessed she had been by God.

St. Luke in the Gospel tells us that Mary set out, proceeding in haste to Elizabeth's home. She went in haste, so eager was she to help the old woman who, Mary realized, at her age would find extra difficulties in her pregnancy. Mary would shower Elizabeth with cheerful kindness and unselfish generosity. Even before Christmas existed, Mary manifested the Christmas spirit!

I find a model of the Christmas spirit in what is expected of a priest at Mass. After receiving Holy Communion, a priest is required to minister the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ to his people. He is not allowed to pause for personal devotion, to retire to his chair to rest and reflect on the magnificent gift God has given him. Often he may want to meditate on how he has been blessed in a manner which is not entirely unlike what happened to Mary when the Son of God became flesh in her womb. Instead he is directed to be like Mary, to go, as it were, in haste to serve God's people. Personal piety comes later.

All Catholics must seek from the liturgy of the Mass the models of their Christmas spirit. Reflect on what happens to you at Mass which suggests the spirit of cheerful kindness and unselfish generosity.

After the homily we find petitions in the Prayer of the Faithful which are basically unselfish, outgoing, for the sake of others who are in need. A little later on in the Mass you are invited to offer one another a sign of peace. See in that gesture a reminder that you are to have care and concern for others.

Notice the different ministries going on around the altar. The young girls and boys who minister to us as "altar servers." They suggest that we must serve one another. The lector, that we just heard, nourishes us with the truth, just as we must speak the truth in love to each other. The Eucharistic Ministers will shortly bring the Lord to you, as we must bring the Lord to each other through our eagerness to help anyone in need.

Mary did not say "Bah!" to Elizabeth or to anyone in need. She had no “Humbug!” within her. She exemplifies for us the true Christmas spirit!

As Advent draws to an end and Christmas approaches, our anticipation and excitement mounts. The joy of anticipation we are experiencing is not only the joy of anticipating Jesus' first coming on Christmas, but also and especially, the joy of anticipating his second coming in glory at the end of time.

"As we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ" let us always remember to live every day of our lives like Mary, with the true Christmas spirit of cheerful kindness and unselfish generosity in service to God and our fellow man, being a true servant of the Lord!