Fourth Sunday of Advent Yr C 2024

Title

The Least becomes Greatest in God

Outline

In a world concern with who is the greatest, God’s concern is whose will is one with his

We produce lists of the richest men and women, the CEO’s of the largest businesses, and the political pecking order - we even list men who might become Pope! But God looks for humble people who have nothing to offer God except their unity with his will. That is what we see in the incarnation.

Who is Mary?

A woman who by marriage is part of “the least among the clans of Judah,” who had nothing to offer God but a “yes” to his will, who never sought the spotlight. But her son “is of old” and “He shall take his place as shepherd by the strength of the Lord.” He is not a warrior, not someone with abilities to offer, but one in whom the human and the divine were in total agreement, that is, fully united in love (Hans Urs von Balthasar), who spoke the word of the Lord. He was one who could not offer the sacrifices and offerings of the powerful, who God did not need, but simply offered the “body you prepared for me” in total unity of humanity with divinity, as it says, “Behold I come to do your will.” And that will was the “offering of the body of Jesus Christ” that consecrates us to enter into that same unity with the divine.

And that is what Mary did and we are to do

Mary did not become “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb” by marrying well or having the perfectly designed baby, but by joining her will to God’s will in her “yes.” So we become blessed by making our will one with God’s, by submitting to divine providence, but ultimately “partaking in the divine nature.”

Mary “believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” It has nothing to do with her plans. So we spend time with God and believe what he speaks to us, knowing that even this faith is not our deed, but infused into us by God.

Mary became “the mother of my Lord,” something she could not have conceived before it happened and never took pride in it. So we give birth to Christ in the world in the sense that he takes flesh in us his sons and daughters, his Church, but never let us let that puff us up.

Let us be like Mary; let our only concern be to do the will of God, to become totally one with him. Amen