Joyful Waiting

As I was reading through some of the mass reading for this week I was struck by all the references to Mary’s and Elizabeth’s pregnancies. Mary was pregnant with Jesus, the Savior of the world and Elizabeth, though old in age, became pregnant with John the Baptist, the herald of Jesus.  It reminded me of my two girls who are also pregnant together. In their case Annie is the oldest and Mary the youngest.

 Mary and Elizabeth both were in wonder of their pregnancies because they carried children of prophecy. Annie and Mary, though not carrying children of some ancient prophecy, are carrying children who are an answer to prayer. This summer, while visiting one of my dear prayer partners in Minnesota  I enjoyed an extended prayer time with some members of her church. I did pray that both girls would be pregnant at the same time. I can honestly say that I wasn’t really thinking of Mary and Elizabeth, but I was thinking that it would be nice if the girls had children who would grow up together. They, themselves, did not have any cousins their own age to play with, and I always thought that to be a family loss. However, this time things will be different thanks to the some divine intervention.

Throughout the pregnancies of Mary and Elizabeth there appears to be a focus on joyful waiting. We can see this in Mary’s great prayer, the Magnificat and in Elizabeth’s husband Zecharias’ song.  I, too, am caught in joyful waiting for the birth of these two little ones. Waiting causes the mind to play out various scenarios of the babies’ births. Annie is due on Palm Sunday (March 24) and Mary Rose on Easter Sunday (March 31).Visions of bunnies and lambs having an Easter egg throwing contest is a funny thought. Could there be a St. Patrick’s Day or St. Joseph’s Day birth? Red and green, green and red…it’s Christmas again! I do hope each baby has his/her own birthday.  However, waiting is always best spent praying.  Just like Mary and Zecharias, time in prayer praising God for the gift of new life and the endless possibilities in the lives of these yet unborn children is a wonderful way to wait.  

I think, this principle of joyful waiting can be applied to other situations as well. Waiting for the results of a medical test or treatment, the results of an employment interview, a marriage proposal, a bid on a new home, these can all be causes of anxiety rather than joy. Considering the age of Elizabeth and the circumstances of Mary’s conception, these would both be cause of much worry, apprehension and uncertainty. Instead, both responses to the anticipation of these births were joy.

First, Mary’s joyful response:

My soul magnifies the Lord
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
Because he has regarded the lowliness of his handmaid;
For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed;
Because he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name;
And his mercy is from generation to generation
on those who fear him.
He has shown might with his arm,
He has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and has exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has given help to Israel, his servant, mindful of his mercy
Even as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity forever. (Luke 1:46-66)

Then Zechariah’s song:

“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
    because he has come to his people and redeemed them.
⁶⁹ He has raised up a horn^[a] of salvation for us
    in the house of his servant David
⁷⁰ (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
⁷¹ salvation from our enemies
    and from the hand of all who hate us—
⁷² to show mercy to our ancestors
    and to remember his holy covenant,
⁷³     the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
⁷⁴ to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
    and to enable us to serve him without fear
⁷⁵     in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. (Luke 1:67-75)

I have to give it to Luke, the gospel writer of these passages, for focusing on joy. He also gives some advice to those who are fraught with disquiet, distress and doubt. I think that this is particularly directed to women, whose emotions are more easily manipulated:

“Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished.” (Luke 1:45)

I pray for a strengthening of faith for myself, family and friends that will bring waiting filled with joy!

HAPPY 2013!