ADVENT IV (II Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a,16; Rom 16:25-27; Lk 1:26-38)

The Old Testament gives many accounts of humanly impossible things that God had done for his people. In order to liberate the Israelites from the bondage in Egypt, God had performed many miracles.  Moses turned the water of the Nile river into blood (Ex 7:17). Moses sent darkness in all the land of Egypt for 3 days (Ex 10:22). The first born of the Egyptians were struck by God. Moses made the red sea divide into two and make a way for the Israelites to pass through. Even after they had settled in the Promised Land God continued his mighty deeds to protect his people. Every Israelite child grew up listening to the mighty works of God; and every Israelite child was taught that nothing is impossible for God.

 

When the Angel of God visited Mary, the Angel told her two humanly impossible things: that she would conceive and bear a son; and that Elizabeth had conceived in her old age. If God could create new life in an old woman, He could surely do the same in a young virgin.  “For nothing will be impossible with God” (v. 37). 

When the angel announced God's plan Mary replied: “I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let what you have said be done to me."  She had followed it till the last moment of her life. She had followed it in the joyful occasions and the dark moments of her life. She had followed it at every step that she had taken.

 

Mrs. Marie Norton of Elmira, New York, died in the fall of 1951, admired and praised by all who had known her. Before she had any children, she was afflicted with cancer, and physicians advised her against becoming pregnant. But Marie decided to ignore advice and leave matters in God’s hands. She went ahead and brought ten children into the world, and they were healthy children. When her brother-in-law lost his wife, she took his children in, too. It was no easy chore to keep house for such a brood, but she did it and was also her own cook and laundress. Had Marie’s malady vanished? By no means. For thirty-five years she was under treatment for malignancies and submitted to as much radium therapy as her body could tolerate. Forty-two times she went under the surgeon’s knife. After Marie’s death her son-in-law’s mother wrote a letter to the paper in praise of Mrs. Norton. “As I observed her giving, besides services, joy and sunshine … to us all, it has left me with a new reverence, a feeling that I have witnessed something this sick world needs today… an assurance that God does hear and answer those who love and trust Him.” Yes, He hears and He gives us of Himself: the supreme Christmas gift is His beloved Son. “… For nothing is impossible with God” (Lk, 1:37).

 

The First reading surprises us by telling of God’s promise to David that he would have a long line of royal descendants culminating in a final King, Jesus Christ. God’s response to David’s wish (to build Him a Temple), is that God will do more for David (build an everlasting dynasty) than David could ever do for God.

The Gospel narrative surprises us also by reminding us that God’s promise is best fulfilled not in buildings, or even in great kings like Solomon, but rather in humble souls like Mary, who trusted in God’s promise.

The birth of Jesus is a miracle, something that defies a natural explanation. In fact, one might say that the birth of Jesus is two miracles: the wondrous conception of a child in the womb of a virgin is miracle enough, but that the Word of God, eternally begotten of and consubstantial with the Father, should take flesh and begin to exist in time and space is by far the greater miracle, the miracle we celebrate at Christmas.

 

If we put our lives at God's disposal during these days, as Mary did in today's Gospel, he may put us in situations where our faith and experience of God can shine in a darkened heart, like spiritual Christmas lights. We mustn't be afraid to let our light shine, speaking about the true meaning of Christmas, and backing up our words with our behavior. If we pray for those who don't know Christ, and act as his messengers during all of the holiday activities, maybe some things that seemed impossible will come to pass.

Mary gives us also the perfect example of how we ought to treat the sacred scriptures. When God's messenger greeted her, St Luke tells us that she "pondered what sort of greeting this might be." Each chapter of the Bible is like a message from God for our souls, and we too must "ponder" what it might mean for us.

In this Mass, Jesus will prove once again that nothing is impossible for him. He will shatter the limits of time and space to become truly present in the Eucharist, nourishing us in Holy Communion with his holy body, blood, soul, and divinity. If he can do that, then he can do anything. And so, we should not hesitate to let him work through our words, prayers, and actions to bring Christ's light into some dark corner of the world where his light is not shining. May this Christmas season help us to bring light and miracles in the lives of those who live in darkness of faith.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

t is the time the Church reflects on God’s loving action in the world-viz. His becoming a human being to save us from sin and meaninglessness that sins brings. God didn't - and doesn't - work out that plan of salvation for us all by himself. Instead, he asks for our cooperation. In today's Gospel, God invites Mary to become the mother of the Savior. She knew God, and knew that his plans are always wise and wonderful. So she put her life at his service: "I am the handmaid of the Lord, may it be done unto me according to your word." Salvation is God's business, but it's a partnership; we have a role to play as well. God is asking us every day to work with him so that we could save ourselves as well as others through our cooperation with God. Whoever recognizes God’s goodness will sing the responsorial psalm of today: Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord. Christmas is the season to sing God’s goodness as the angels sang at the birth of Christ. Let’s recognize God’s goodness in our lives so that we may have a heart full of gratitude to sing his glory.