The Fourth Week of Advent & Christmas Time

Charity and Evangelization

The First Missionary

Who was the first person to share the good news of our Savior's coming with someone else? We won't count the angels, since we're interested in flesh-and-blood, human-to-human evangelization. As usual, our Lady paved the way and provides us with an example to follow. We read about her visitation to her cousin Elizabeth, the first instance of evangelization recorded in the Gospels, on the Fourth Sunday of Advent:
Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”
— Luke 1:39-45
The Blessed Virgin Mary literally carried Christ to Elizabeth and the unborn John the Baptist. At that point, the Holy Spirit took over, revealing to Elizabeth that her Lord had become present through our Lady's humble obedience.

St. Luke doesn't tell us exactly why Mary visited her cousin immediately after the Annunciation, but we can deduce two reasons. First, she probably wanted to share the joyful, awe-inspiring news that she was pregnant with God's Son. Second, she most likely wanted to rejoice with Elizabeth and help her during the final months of her pregnancy.

Mary's first reason aligns with the Church's missionary imperative: preach the good news to all of creation, guided and aided by the Holy Spirit. Her second reason aligns with another vital mission of the Church: charity. As we preach, we must also serve. Our love for others makes our message credible by displaying God's love for all.

The Corporal Works of Mercy

Here are some ideas of how you can love others by providing for their concrete needs during Advent, Christmas Time, and beyond. If none of them fit your circumstances, ask God to guide you to other ways of showing mercy.
  • Feed the hungry: Volunteer at a local food bank or donate nonperishable food items
  • Give drink to the thirsty: Give to a charity that provides clean water to those who need it
  • Shelter the homeless: Volunteer at or give to your local homeless shelter
  • Visit the sick: Visit or call someone in your family or parish who is ill.
  • Visit the prisoners: Write letters to prisoners or get involved with your diocesan prison and jail ministry.
  • Bury the dead: Attend a funeral at your parish during the holiday season.
  • Give alms to the poor: Support someone you know who is in a difficult financial situation.

The Spiritual Works of Mercy

Most of us will see a lot of family, friends, and fellow parishioners during Advent and Christmas Time. In a spirit of humility and charity, can you perform the spiritual works of mercy in your ordinary conversations?
  • Counsel the doubtful: Is there someone in your life who is struggling with the Church's teachings or needs to make a big decision?
  • Instruct the ignorant: Do you know someone who has never heard the gospel or who misunderstands Christian teaching?
  • Admonish the sinner: Is there someone in your life whose lifestyle reflects a rejection of the gospel?
  • Comfort the sorrowful: Do you know someone who is experiencing grief, anxiety, or depression?
  • Forgive injuries: Is there someone in your life who has hurt you or someone else whom you love?
  • Bear wrongs patiently: Do you know someone who rubs you the wrong way or who is likely to offend you?
  • Pray for the living and the dead: Who in your life most needs prayers?
Grant, O Lord, that we may begin with holy fasting this campaign of Christian service, so that, as we take up battle against spiritual evils, we may be armed with weapons of self-restraint.

This collect prayer begins the Mass for Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Jesus is calling us to "take up battle against spiritual evils." We'll explore fasting itself in a few weeks; during the week of Ash Wednesday, we're going to dig into an important set of weapons the Lord gives us to fight evil: sacramentals.

What's a sacramental? Well, if you attend Mass on Ash Wednesday, you're probably going to receive one on your forehead.

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480 152nd Avenue, Holland, MI 49424
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