Fourth Sunday of Advent 2024

What's missing in this picture???

Today’s Gospel gives us a beautiful and deeply moving moment: Mary, pregnant with Jesus, travels to visit her cousin Elizabeth. It is a moment filled with joy, wonder, and anticipation.

But as I sat with this Gospel, one curious detail stood out to me: not once in this passage is the name of Jesus mentioned. 

Not once. 

And yet, everything in this reading—every word, every action—is about Him.

It’s as if His presence saturates the story so completely that even without saying His name, He’s undeniably at the center of it all. 

Elizabeth’s greeting, the leap of John the Baptist in her womb, and Mary’s arrival—all point to Jesus. Every part of this encounter revolves around Him. 

Yet, this silent proclamation of Christ in today’s Gospel also reveals something that we don’t often experience in this season of Advent leading into Christmas.

We’re surrounded by the sights and sounds of Christmas everywhere we go: festive music, bright lights, cheerful advertisements, and heartwarming stories. 

But how often do they actually name Jesus? 

Our culture has built up a massive celebration of Christmas—but without Christ. The focus has shifted to things like nostalgia, family traditions, and even Hallmark Channel love stories. 

There’s nothing inherently wrong with those things—but they miss the point. They’re like hearing Elizabeth’s joyful exclamation without knowing who Mary carries within her womb.

Think about the holiday movies we love to watch this time of year. 

How often are they about people rediscovering their high school sweethearts or finding themselves in snowy small towns…but how rarely are they about finding Jesus? 

Even the “reason for the season” can be reduced to vague ideas of generosity and goodwill, rather than the incredible reality that the Son of God entered the world to save us.

And yet, this Gospel invites us to do what Elizabeth did: to look past the noise, past the surface, and recognize Jesus—to truly rejoice in His presence, even when He’s not explicitly named.

Elizabeth recognized Jesus because she was attentive. She was filled with the Holy Spirit, and her heart was open. She didn’t need Mary to explain everything; she just knew. 

Her own child, John the Baptist, leapt for joy in her womb at the presence of the Savior. How powerful is that? 

Without even hearing the name of Jesus, Elizabeth knew that He was there. Her entire being was attuned to His presence.

This Advent, and especially in the coming week, we are called to do the same. 

We’re called to be attentive, to slow down, and to recognize Jesus in the midst of all the holiday noise. 

Because the truth is, He is here. He is at the heart of it all. 

Even when the world around us seems to forget Him, even when His name is unspoken, He is present, quietly waiting for us to recognize Him.

Like Mary, we are also called to carry Jesus into the world. Think about this: Mary didn’t have to say a word about what was happening within her for Elizabeth to recognize Jesus. 

Her very presence proclaimed Him. 

What if we lived our lives like that? 

What if the way we spoke, acted, and treated others proclaimed Christ, even without us saying His name? 

What if our joy, our kindness, our forgiveness, and our love made His presence undeniable to those around us?

As we prepare for Christmas, let’s not get so caught up in the busyness of the season that we miss Jesus. 

Let’s take time to pause, to pray, and to reflect on the incredible mystery we are about to celebrate: that God became man and dwelt among us. 

Let’s make room for Him in our hearts and in our homes.

And let’s take this a step further. Let’s bring Jesus into our celebrations. 

At family gatherings, in conversations with friends, and even in the way we interact with strangers, let’s carry Jesus with us, just as Mary did. 

Let’s be the ones who gently remind others of the true reason for the season, not just with our words but with the way we love.

My friends, this Gospel reminds us that even when His name is unspoken, Jesus is always at the center. 

Let’s not leave Him hidden under the wrapping paper or forgotten amid the holiday bustle. This Christmas, let’s rediscover the joy of His presence. 

Let’s recognize Him, rejoice in Him, and share Him with the world. 

Like Elizabeth, let our hearts leap with joy at the presence of our Savior. And like Mary, let us carry Him to others with love and faith.

May this final week of Advent be a time of joyful anticipation as we prepare to welcome Jesus into our hearts and lives once again. 

Amen.