The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today nudge us to be open to discern how God may be calling us to be bearers of New Life through surrender to His Will.
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| Let it be His Way |
The reading from the Prophet Isaiah confronts Ahaz with the sign of Immanuel (Emmanuel).
* [7:14] Isaiah’s sign seeks to reassure Ahaz that he need not fear the invading armies of Syria and Israel in the light of God’s promise to David (2 Sm 7:12–16). The oracle follows a traditional announcement formula by which the birth and sometimes naming of a child is promised to particular individuals (Gn 16:11; Jgs 13:3). The young woman: Hebrew ‘almah designates a young woman of marriageable age without specific reference to virginity. The Septuagint translated the Hebrew term as parthenos, which normally does mean virgin, and this translation underlies Mt 1:23. Emmanuel: the name means “with us is God.” Since for the Christian the incarnation is the ultimate expression of God’s willingness to “be with us,” it is understandable that this text was interpreted to refer to the birth of Christ.1
Psalm 24 is a hymn for entrance into the Temple.
* [Psalm 24] The Psalm apparently accompanied a ceremony of the entry of God (invisibly enthroned upon the ark), followed by the people, into the Temple. The Temple commemorated the creation of the world (Ps 24:1–2). The people had to affirm their fidelity before being admitted into the sanctuary (Ps 24:3–6; cf. Ps 15).2
In the Gospel of Luke, the Birth of Jesus is foretold to Mary.
* [1:26–38] The announcement to Mary of the birth of Jesus is parallel to the announcement to Zechariah of the birth of John. In both the angel Gabriel appears to the parent who is troubled by the vision (Lk 1:11–12, 26–29) and then told by the angel not to fear (Lk 1:13, 30). After the announcement is made (Lk 1:14–17, 31–33) the parent objects (Lk 1:18, 34) and a sign is given to confirm the announcement (Lk 1:20, 36). The particular focus of the announcement of the birth of Jesus is on his identity as Son of David (Lk 1:32–33) and Son of God (Lk 1:32, 35).3
Tom Shanahan, S.J. comments on the special relationship between cousins in the response of Mary to hearing of the pregnancy of Elizabeth.
The interchange between Mary and Elizabeth is simple yet profound. Cousins, they come together at this special time. They share together the wonders of bearing a child. And we are given a share of that wonder as we await the goodness of Jesus who comes in our lives.
The interchange between Mary and Elizabeth is simple yet profound. Cousins, they come together to share the life-giving experience of motherhood together and to be of service to each other as they bear in their wombs the two who will make such a profound influence on their lives. John and Jesus linked together even before their births in a bond of kinship and promise.
Le our expectations flourish as we approach the feast of Christmas. Advent gives us the invitation to patience in discovering the wonderful goodness of God. God sets his sights on our need of forgiveness and mercy.4
Don Schwager quotes “Jesus is Son of God and Son of Mary,” by Bede the Venerable, 672-735 A.D.
"We should carefully note the order of the words here, and the more firmly they are engrafted in our heart, the more evident it will be that the sum total of our redemption consists in them. For they proclaim with perfect clarity that the Lord Jesus, that is, our Savior, was both the true Son of God the Father and the true Son of a mother who was a human being. 'Behold,' he says, 'you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son' - acknowledge that this true human being assumed the true substance of flesh from the flesh of the Virgin! 'He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High' - confess too that this same Son is true God of true God, co-eternal Son forever of the eternal Father!" (excerpt from HOMILIES ON THE GOSPELS 1.3.22)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 1:26-38 reflects that Mary continued to ponder the significance of “full of grace” and what the “power of the Most High” overshadowing her might mean (Luke 1:28, 35). Surely she turned her thoughts to bearing a child destined to be “called holy, the Son of God” (1:35). She had accepted God’s words, and now it was time to let those words grow and take shape in her heart, even as the child grew and took shape in her womb.
Life will return to normal. But like Mary, you can hold on to these things and continue to ponder them. Maybe start writing down some of the ways you have seen God working—perhaps the time you felt more at peace in Mass or when you were able to say no to a persistent temptation. You can write out a Scripture verse from Mass that struck you or a prayer intention that you want to keep offering. Then, when the “normal days” come, you can keep pondering these words and let Jesus grow in you.6
Friar Jude Winkler explains the reluctance of King Ahaz to respond to the sign of Emmanuel. The perfect tense of the Greek in the greeting of Gabriel is key to the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. Friar Jude shares the role of Mary as the Ark of the Covenant.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, cites CAC staff member, Ron H. that it is clearer than ever that the antidote to the soul sickness of addiction in all its forms is the awakened spirit.
This fact is there in plain sight in the steps. The second step holds out the hope for a restoration to sanity. From the addict’s point of view, it is hope for the same thing that the drugs provided in their own way: a shift in how life looks and feels. After the cleaning up of the first three steps, the growing up of the fourth through the tenth, there is the waking up, the eleventh step’s prescription of seeking to improve conscious contact with God. We go full circle back home. In my case, when the twelfth step looks back and observes that the result of this journey has been an awakening of spirit, it is referring to my restoration to the sanity of that little boy, head bowed, earnestly seeking and sometimes experiencing the contact that progressively awakens. And having had that awakening, the step says, now show up for the next one who needs a roadmap and a companion on that journey from disorder to reorder.7
The surrender of Mary to the Will of God is our model to experience an awakened Spirit in on our journey with Jesus.
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