Paul's Reflections 4th Sunday Advent. Year B

Homily 18th December, 2011      4th Sunday Advent. Year B

 

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-      2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16

-      Romans 16:25-27

-      Luke 1:26-38

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-      The events of the annunciation of great news to Mary, occurred more than two thousand years ago.  The news Mary received was the start of the fulfilment of God's promise that was made to King David one thousand years before that.  That is a long, long time.  

-      It is a reminder that God has a very, very long memory. And also, humans have a long memory too.  The people of Israel hoped and trusted in the promise made by God to King David.  And as the years went on, that hope was boosted, and then seemingly shattered and then rebuilt.   The people of God had an up-and-down reaction to God's promises. Sometimes they remembered God's promises with deep expectant hope. Other times they would have remembered God's promises with impatience.  At other times, with frustration, sometimes even bitterness, scepticism…and resentment..

-      God remembers everything with a loving heart and a determination to fulfil what God has promised..  in God's time..  and in God's way….

-      Human's remember things in a different and flawed way, because we only ever see part of the picture; our lifespan is relatively short..  

-      And now we arrive at the wonderful scene of the Annunciation.  After all this time and in the fullness of time, God's primise is being fulfilled in this home of  a humble maiden.

-      Here we can learn our response to God's words and promises:  Be it done to me according to your word.  If only we could all learn to respond to the Lord in such a wonderful way as Mary did!  As we continue to allow God to form us with His word, surely our lives will change and we shall be able to say more readily and with joy:  Be it done to me according to your word! 

-      Mary is the model for all of us who want to follow God's ways.  She was a humble servant of God who tried to be faithful to the Lord.  In her lowliness, God chose her for the most important role:  the mother of His Son.  …..

 

-       This weekend's gospel, for the closing Sunday of Advent is all about the greatness of the word "YES" in Mary's life and in the life of all of us who choose to be disciples of Christ. Mary's trust in God's promises is absolute. Mary continues to trust and live according to God's ways even if what is happening doesn't appear to make sense to her most of the time.

-      Mary's words in response to the announcement of the angel Gabriel are both profound and also very simple. Her simple "yes" changed the world. With that response, Mary welcomed God in a special way into her life. Her "yes" is the yes we can say daily as we welcome Jesus into our lives.

-      Mary was a woman of faith. She believed in God and in the wonderful things God had done not only for her, but also for her people over many, many centuries…. She remembered Abraham, Moses, Deborah, David, and all the men and women throughout history who God had chosen to help the people keep-their faith.

-        In joy, Mary rejoiced in the goodness of God in sharing life with us. Loved by God, we, too, rejoice in God's coming and in gladness welcome God into our lives.

-      What does Mary's "YES" mean to each of us in our lives.  What does it mean for us to say "YES" to God's plans in the world.

-      One thing I find really striking and challenging.  Mary said to the Angel..  "I am god's servant."   The idea of being a servant seems difficult in this day and age. Slavery has been abolished. People are free and equal. So, what do we make of Mary saying to God, "I am your servant."  I am your humble slave; let it be done to me according to your word.

-      Whilst it is true that human slavery is not abolished and to be rejected,  the concept still applies and is a helpful counterpoint in our understanding of God. We are God's servants. We are God's slaves.  But we are not unfree, and we are not unthinking. We are also God's children, but we are also God's servants.   We are to do things God's way, not our way.  When God the master askes something of us, we might be tempted to say, "but why"  - and the reply to a servant is, 'because I have asked you to do it."  And we might be tempted to say to God, "but it doesn't make sense and I would do it differently,"  to which he will say, "that I why I am the master and you are the servant. Do as I tell you."  This seems such foreign thinking in this day and age. But we are not celebrating next weekend the birth of our own selfish, self-absorbed egos into the world.. we are celebrating the birth of our God, as a human. We are commemorating God coming to save us and the birth of our salvation and the Messiah who will establish God's Kingdom and the everlasting house of King David's line.  So, perhaps the world needs more than ever, handmaids and servants (men and women) like Mary, who do things God's way and persevere even when things are not clear. Precisely because we have put ourselves intot he hands of our master and do as he wants, not as we want. Mary has shown us the perfect example in this. It does not 'enslave us' but actually frees us to be disciples of Christ to the full.

-      May this Advent bring us all close to the Lord because He is always close to us.  May we recognize that God loves us and sends His Son to save us. We have been given enlightenment in the Holy Spirit.  May Mary intercede for us as we learn from her complete trust in God's plan and learn to serve her Son, Jesus Christ the Lord.

-      O Wisdom, holy Word of God, Jesus Christ, all things are in your hands, come and show us the way to salvation.

 

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REFERENCES:

·         Fr. Paul W. Kelly

·         Celebrating the Gospels.

·         My Daily Visitor, Nov-Dec 2011.

·         Monastery Of Christ In The Desert. Abbot's Homily. http://christdesert.org/about_us/abbot_s_and_cellarer_s_pages/abbot_s_homily/index.html