C: 4th Sun of Advent (23 Dec 2018) - THE SILVER LINING - Lk 1:39-45

“To see situations with a silver lining and to assess where I could give something, where I could provide something as a spokesperson. And if I could teach also people to be grateful, we could have an amazing world where negativity could not grow and foster and children would have a smile on their faces.”

This is the response of the Filipina Catriona Gray to the final question that crowned her the Miss Universe 2018 last December 17 in Bangkok, Thailand. But for us Filipinos, it is more than just an answer to the pageant: her words are so real because they reflect the situation of the poor children in Tondo, Manila, whom she has personally visited and for whom she has started a social advocacy. Indeed, the silver lining, which is their smiles, is brought to the fore of international attention.

Visiting personally somebody, hence, gives flesh to abstract values. And this is what precisely Elizabeth felt at the visit of her cousin Mary. Elizabeth was for a long period of time the laughingstock of her neighbors. She was married to the priest Zechariah (Lk 1:5), a celebrated personality in those days for having been chosen to burn incense in the temple of the Lord (v. 10). He was renowned as “righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord” (v. 6). However, despite this distinguished family honor, she was disgracefully childless at her old age (v. 7). Her respectability was momentarily regained when she began to conceive a child (v. 24) but was instantly suspended by her husband’s inability to speak—a divine punishment for his unbelief (vv. 20, 22). This public shame must have driven her to go into hiding (v. 24), still very much affected by the reproach of her people (v. 25).

This respect was soon salvaged by the visit of Mary which flattered her in her hiding: “And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Lk 1:43). This manifests that the confidence of the downtrodden can be easily lifted up by a personalized action that would value again their worth in the society. The name Elizabeth is the Hebrew of “My God promises”. Meanwhile, her husband “Zechariah” is the Hebrew of “Yahweh remembers”. Both these two names were mere empty words, but they became significant when angel Gabriel, in a visit, brought them the good news that a son would be born to them by the name of John—the Hebrew for “Yahweh is gracious,” or simply, “God’s gift.”

Indeed, a simple act of personalized action makes a big difference. How many of our politicians nowadays fail to do so… they speak hollow speeches in public, but they have not really visited their constituents. And if ever they would, most of them do it for the sake of getting media mileage, or for creating a propaganda that exalts their heroism, or for soliciting potential votes this coming May 2019. Hence, instead of putting into the pedestal the marginalized, they ordain themselves as the so-called silver lining of society, proclaiming themselves as our true saviors from our nation’s dire poverty.

Though the whole Yuletide festivity is centered on the birth of the baby Jesus, Christmas, in essence, is not about Jesus Christ. He is born not for himself but for us, so that we would receive eternal life (Jn 3:16). He became flesh and personally visited us, not only momentarily but permanently as he “pitched a tent among us” (Jn 1:14). It is because he continues to dream that we would enjoy someday a lasting peace on earth (Lk 2:14). His coming elevates us all as the true silver lining of society, making every silver bell this Christmas more glittering than ever.

- Rex Fortes, CM