The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary, today, the Fourth Sunday of Advent, urge us to examine the Covenant to which we are called and implore the Holy Spirit to help us voice our “Yes” to God.
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The reading from the Second Book of the Prophet Samuel establishes God’s Covenant with David.
* [7:8–16] The message Nathan delivers to David, called the Dynastic Oracle, is prompted by David’s intention to build a house (i.e., a temple) for the Lord, like David’s own house (i.e., palace) of cedar. David is told, in effect, not to bother building a house for the Lord; rather, the Lord will make a house for him—a dynasty, the House of David. Not only will he have descendants (v. 12) who will sit upon the throne of Israel (v. 13), their rule will last forever (vv. 13, 16); and even if they transgress the Lord’s commands, the line of David will never be removed from kingship as Saul was (cf. 1 Sm 13; 15). The oracle establishes the Davidic king as standing in relationship to the Lord as a son to a father (v. 14; cf. Ps 2:7; 89:27). The Dynastic Oracle, with cognate texts in the Scriptures, is the basis for Jewish expectations of an anointed king (1 Sm 12:3, 5), son of David (Mt 21:9); cf. Acts 2:30; Heb 1:5. (2 Samuel, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 89 praises God’s Covenant with David
* [89:3–5] David’s dynasty is to be as long-lasting as the heavens, a statement reinforced by using the same verbs (establish, stand) both of the divine love and loyalty and of the Davidic dynasty and throne, cf. Ps 89:29–30. (Psalms, PSALM 89 | USCCB, n.d.)
The reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans is a Final Doxology.
[16:25–27] This doxology is assigned variously to the end of Rom 14; 15; 16 in the manuscript tradition. Some manuscripts omit it entirely. Whether written by Paul or not, it forms an admirable conclusion to the letter at this point.
* [16:25] Paul’s gospel reveals the mystery kept secret for long ages: justification and salvation through faith, with all the implications for Jews and Gentiles that Paul has developed in the letter. (Romans, CHAPTER 16 | USCCB, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Luke the Birth of Jesus is foretold.
* [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).
* [1:32] Son of the Most High: cf. Lk 1:76 where John is described as “prophet of the Most High.” “Most High” is a title for God commonly used by Luke (Lk 1:35, 76; 6:35; 8:28; Acts 7:48; 16:17).
* [1:34] Mary’s questioning response is a denial of sexual relations and is used by Luke to lead to the angel’s declaration about the Spirit’s role in the conception of this child (Lk 1:35). According to Luke, the virginal conception of Jesus takes place through the holy Spirit, the power of God, and therefore Jesus has a unique relationship to Yahweh: he is Son of God.
* [1:36–37] The sign given to Mary in confirmation of the angel’s announcement to her is the pregnancy of her aged relative Elizabeth. If a woman past the childbearing age could become pregnant, why, the angel implies, should there be doubt about Mary’s pregnancy, for nothing will be impossible for God. (Luke, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)
Eileen Burke-Sullivan comments that the passage from 2 Samuel reminds her of God telling St. Francis of Assisi to “rebuild his house.”
Francis thinks God wants him to repair a dilapidated little Chapel of San Damiano. But God wants Francis to build back up the Communion of the Church that was falling apart in the 12th Century through the pursuit of wealth and power – (sounds familiar doesn’t it?). Too often David’s vocation to build a family of believers, Jesus’s Birth, and St. Francis’s task are romanticized by various admirers rather than realized by serious imitators.
At this 11th hour of the Advent Season we hear the Angel Gabriel tenderly invite Mary – a descendent of David’s House, but a young uneducated woman of the marginalized of Israel, to be a house for God. She is asked to show every human how to provide God a home among us. God asks us, as He asked David and Mary to let him build us into a house for Him to dwell in forever. (Burke, 2023)
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) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 1:26-38 comments that as unique as Mary’s situation was, it is also very familiar. Who among us hasn’t felt at times as if we were walking a path that no one else has walked? Who hasn’t felt at times as if we were all alone, with no one to guide us? We may not have responded as sinlessly as Mary did, but just the fact that she has gone before us can bring us great comfort.
Mary knows what it’s like to have her life turned upside down. She knows what it’s like to walk a lonely road and to be misunderstood. But even on Christmas Eve, as she faced the prospect of giving birth in a stable, she continued to trust in God’s care. Now assumed into heaven, she offers us her compassion, support, and intercession, especially when we feel lost and alone. She never tires of teaching us and caring for us.
“Holy Mary, Mother of God, help me to walk the path of trust as I await the coming of your son.” (Meditation on Luke 1:26-38, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler discusses the dialogue about building a Temple for God and the “Dynastic Oracle” of Nathan. Friar Jude notes the Jewish tone in the doxology of Romans to a community mostly of Gentiles. The significance of the Greek perfect tense in the greeting of Gabriel to Mary indicates she has always been full of grace. Friar Jude notes the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit as the initiation of Mary as the New Ark of the Covenant.
Father Richard Rohr, OFM, writes of the prophetic path shown in the Scriptures: (Malachi 3:2, 4:5–6,)
These words from the prophet Malachi describe the one who will be the fitting precursor for any coming Messiah. Christians have usually applied this passage to John the Baptist, as Jesus himself and the gospel writers already have done. But this text has even more significance. In very few verses, it succeeds in charting the sequencing of the prophetic Word of God. When the Scriptures are used maturely, they proceed in this order:
1. They confront us with a bigger picture than we are used to: “God’s reign” that has the potential to “deconstruct” our false world views.
2. They then have the power to convert us to an alternative worldview by proclamation, grace, and the sheer attraction of the good, the true, and the beautiful (not by lower-level motivations of shame, guilt, or fear).
3. They then console us and bring deep healing as they “reconstruct” us in a new place with a new mind and heart.
The prophet Malachi does this. He describes the work of the God Messenger as both “great and terrible,” both wonderful and threatening at the same time. It is not that the Word of God is threatening us with fire and brimstone. Rather, the Scripture is saying that goodness is its own reward and evil is its own punishment. If we do the truth and live connected in the world as it really is, we will be blessed and grace can flow. The consolation will follow from the confrontation with the Big Picture. If we create a false world of separateness and egocentricity, it will not work and we will suffer the consequences even now. In short, we are not punished for our sins, but by our sins! [1] (Rohr, 2019)
We seek the power of the Holy Spirit to accept our covenant relationship with God and creation as we surrender to the goodness, truth and beauty that God presents to us.
References
Burke, E. (2023, December 24). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. Online Ministries. Retrieved December 24, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/122423.html
Luke, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved December 24, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/1?26
Meditation on Luke 1:26-38. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved December 24, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/12/24/854980/
Psalms, PSALM 89 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved December 24, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/89?2
Rohr, R. (2019, June 24). The Prophetic Path of Scripture. CAC Daily Meditations 2023. Retrieved December 24, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-prophetic-path-of-scripture/
Romans, CHAPTER 16 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved December 24, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/romans/16?25
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved December 24, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=dec24
2 Samuel, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved December 24, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2samuel/7?1
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