The Visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth is described in the readings for this Fourth Sunday of Advent. Mary came to help and to give good news to Elizabeth. It was a wondrous encounter between these two great, faith-filled women. I wonder… where were the men, Joseph and Zechariah? I imagine they were there too, in silence, and wondering what was going on. God also had a role for them in his plan of salvation.

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near.” (Is 61:1) These words of Isaiah invite us to embrace a fresh perspective on living each day. Advent keeps reminding us joy is a simple gift we can offer each other. Amidst the disappointments, sorrows, and tribulations we and others experience, joy is a liberating experience.

This Advent, like all too many before, finds places in our world at war or threatening war, bitter divisions within and among nations about immigration and how and whether to assist displaced peoples, political turmoil and strife, an increasingly threatened climate, growing divisions between the “haves” and “have nots”, and more. In such a world, how do we keep hope alive?