In the footsteps of Mary

Homily at the Eucharistic celebration for Scarboro's Mission in Thailand, on the feast of the Assumption, August 15, 2002

By Roger Brennan, S.F.M.
January/February 2003

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In the Gospel for today's Mass, St. Luke presents Mary to us as the model of the disciple of Christ. Elizabeth and Zechariah represent the ideal of the Jewish tradition as they humbly and simply live by the covenant established between God and God's people.

Fr. Roger Brennan (right) and the Scarboro community celebrating the Eucharist for Scarboro's mission in Thailand on the Feast of the Assumption. During the assembly/Chapter 2002, Eucharistic celebrations embraced each mission country and the people and cultures we serve.

In Luke's account, the fidelity of Elizabeth and Zechariah is rewarded, as barrenness is replaced with fertility and they conceive a child. From this unlikely couple will come the great culmination of the prophetic tradition of the Jewish people. ("Of all the children born of women, there is no one greater than John." Luke 7:28)

As St. Luke presents her to us, Mary, the ideal disciple, hears the word of God, she ponders the word of God, she accepts it in faith, she acts on the word of God, she bears the word of God within her, she gives life to the word of God, she brings the word of God to others.

In today's Gospel, unmindful of her own condition or special dignity, Mary hurries off to the hill country of Judea to be with Elizabeth and to assist her in her time of need. We may imagine these two very special women going about the routine tasks of rural women of their time and place, drawing water, grinding wheat, preparing meals, gathering firewood, doing laundry, keeping their house clean, all the simple domestic tasks that so many of the women of the world still do. Mary stayed there, helping Elizabeth as long as her help was needed.

We really do not know what Elizabeth and Mary understood of their respective situations, or what they discussed as they went about their daily work. Mary was present as a helper, but she bore within her the fulfillment of the hopes of her people. Elizabeth prepares to give birth, but will give birth to the one who will name for his people who Jesus is, and point to Him as the fulfillment of their faith tradition.

It seems to me that this scene of Mary and Elizabeth is an excellent model for our missionaries in Thailand. Like Mary, they hear and ponder the word of God; they bear the word of God in their hearts and give life to it by their actions. They go to be with the people of an ancient religious tradition, Buddhism.

Bearing in their hearts the word of God, they go to be of service to the people of Thailand. While the work they do is important, what is more important is the love with which they do their work. It is this love that gives life to the word of God within them.

The collaboration between Mary and Elizabeth bore fruit in the witness of John the Baptist. So, too, it is our hope that the presence of our missionaries in Thailand may one day lead the people of that place to be able to point out how Jesus is the embodiment of the hopes and promises of their own rich faith tradition.

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