SUNDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2023 | ADVENT - B and Christmas Eve December 24, 2023 - B

Good Advent morning/ soon to be Christmas Eve!

Yes, this year, Advent is a bit wonky - Advent in the morning and Christmas Eve in the afternoon! It’s world’s shortest pregnancy because we are going from the announcement to Mary about her immaculate conception of Jesus by the angel Gabriel to the birth of Jesus in about…6 hours?

Ok, ok, I know…it was longer than that but I still think it is quite funny. All things considered, Mary is fairly nonchalant about the whole announcement thing - don’t get me wrong, she is a good communicator and she has an important follow-up question - how can I be pregnant when I did not come to know a man (intimately}? The answer: It’s the work of the Holy Spirit and perhaps to comfort her a bit, the angel adds Elizabeth is also pregnant and six months at that!

38 Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” If I were Mary I would have many more follow up questions, at least ten! But Mary is just like: “so be it!” That’s a level of trust I am not sure I could muster. Impressive, to say the least. I still believe that Mary could have still said NO, but the fact of the matter is that she didn’t. Thousands of years of hopes and yearning for a savior, a messiah was hinging on Mary’s willingness. God can do anything, but as we know, God is not interested in some limp and lifeless all obedient puppets, but real people with free will.

Mary saw the beginning of her part to change the world and she said yes to it. Her Magnificat that we read in our Luke reading is often considered very narrowly as a song of praise to God. Yes, there is definitely praise there and when we read it, we can praise God with her, but… It is also announcement about God that she perceives growing within her:

Revised Common Lectionary 12-24-2023: Fourth Sunday of Advent

51He has shown strength with his arm;

he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.

52He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,

and lifted up the lowly;

53he has filled the hungry with good things,

and sent the rich away empty.

54He has helped his servant Israel,

in remembrance of his mercy,

55according to the promise he made to our ancestors,

to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

So also a protest song. And after Jesus began his ministry he showed that part of God in himself - God’s blessings and justice is not a thing of the past or for the very select few, but it is here for everybody, especially those that need it the most - the lowly, the hungry… God didn’t come to earth to just top off the mighty and wealthy and then perhaps throw some paper towels at the crowds. No, he got into the nitty gritty of teaching, helping, healing, performing miracles for the benefit of common folks.

Her pregnancy probably didn’t come at the best of times for she was still very young (in her teens) and was barely engaged to Joseph and of course, there will be always more shaming towards an unwed mother than a man, no matter the century. And the occasion of the birth is also not very convenient, but we will get to that later today.

As I mentioned in my newsletter article, We must affirm that Christmas is not all sprinkles and joy - it can be a rather complicated time. Just this Thursday, in one day we laid to rest Lois Gorman, a member that transferred from St. Luke’s and then I got home and found out that there was a deadly mass shooting at Charles University in Prague, where I study my PhD and a school I have many ties to. Last time I checked, 14 people were killed and 25 were wounded - a very upsetting event that doesn’t really happen in Europle…and the Czech Republic even less so! For those that lost loved ones, so close to Christmas, be it by natural causes or violent ones, it has become a difficult season and one that will always be complicated going forward.

But in our Christian tradition, we are well aware of the light AND darkness of Advent and Christmas Time. A light shines in the darkness, goodness overcomes evil, love and truth prevails over hate and lies. For it to happen, however, both needs to be present. The world being the world with all its troubles and tribulations, we do not have to worry about the absence of evil, but all things come through God and the birth of Jesus is no different and we will get to it in just a few hours. In the mean time, we celebrate that God chose a woman named Mary for becoming our savior’s mother, a primary caretaker, teacher, and supporter. God did so not for her predispositions, but for the potential God saw in her. For God is less interested in our initial situation and more interested in the journey we take and where it leads us and that is great news indeed! Amen.

Christmas Eve

Good afternoon,

Welcome back to our festivities! Just a few hours ago, we discussed the amazing announcement made to Mary by the angel Gabriel about her immaculate conception of Jesus. Mary's response was exceptional, and her Magnificat is more than just a song of praise. It is also a declaration about God that she perceives the growing presence within her, a vision of God's justice, love, and care for the least in society!

And now, we come to the birth of Jesus, which was far from simple... once again!

But here's some good news! If you're finding it hard to get into the Christmas Spirit, just imagine how Mary and Joseph must have felt in the middle of the bureaucratic nightmare of the census. Everyone had to return to their birthplace, no matter how far they lived! It wasn't as easy as just mailing it in, there was no simple form to fill out. And in the midst of all that chaos, Jesus, our Savior and redeemer, was born. Whether it was a humble stable or a modest spare guest room, winter or summer... it must have been an incredibly stressful time. So, if your Christmas feels a bit hectic and chaotic, it may actually be closer to the experience Mary and Joseph had. It certainly wasn't the serene scene depicted in our nativity sets.

It was a moment filled with immense joy and excitement, the birth of new life amidst the hustle, bustle, and noise. And that is precisely what we are doing now - taking a few precious moments to rejoice and celebrate the incarnation of God among us as a tiny, dependent, and vulnerable baby. Just like back then, wars continue to be waged and other world events unfold... Bethlehem is currently in the middle of a war zone, where Christmas festivities are canceled and there is uncertainty about the future. It doesn’t stop… Christmas truces are rare.

However, we still find ourselves in a timeless, significant, and deeply meaningful moment of liberation, peace, and love. It is a glimpse of what will ultimately be fully realized in the Kingdom of God, the Reign of Heaven. So let us rejoice and exclaim with joy - Our Savior was born! Wishing you a joyous and Merry Christmas and God-given strength and Spirit-filled inspiration to love your neighbor as yourself and to follow God’s lead in loving yourselves more fully in the 2024! Amen.