Monday of Late
Advent
December 21, 2015 8:30am
One of our Scripture scholars gives
us a good insight about the word “blessed”
in our gospel passage today.
Twice Elizabeth calls Mary “blessed.”
But in the original Hebrew, there
are two different words here that get translated as “blessed” in English.
And there is a difference in the meaning of these two words.
First, Elizabeth says to Mary, “Blessed
are you among women.”
Here the original Hebrew word
means consecrated, specially selected by God for a special role.
So in calling Mary “blessed” here, Elizabeth extols Mary as
extraordinary or even unique.
The word “blessed” here refers to how different Mary is from us.
God has set Mary apart for a
unique role and purpose.
She deserves, therefore, a
recognition and even veneration beyond what we give to all other human beings.
And then, second, Elizabeth says,
“Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would
be fulfilled.”
Here the word “blessed”
signifies “happy” or “fortunate.”
It is the same word that Jesus
uses in the Beatitudes.
For example, “Blessed are the
merciful.”
In this way, Elizabeth recognizes
Mary as a person like herself or like us.
Elizabeth recognizes the
ordinary, human side of Mary.
She came from an insignificant
town and knew suffering and understood uncertainty and confusion.
Elizabeth is in effect saying that
this “blessedness” or “happiness” or “good fortune” that Mary has is available
to all of us who believe and follow God’s Word.
Mary then offers us a good example
that we ought to follow.
So, it seems that Saint Luke
carefully recalls this incident and uses these two words that we translate as “blessed.”
They convey some of the richness
of Mary and of her spiritual role for all persons of faith.
