The Path of “Choice”, The Path of "Hope"
Today’s Gospel is the longest conversation anyone is recorded by Sacred Scripture as having had with our Blessed Mother. What a privilege that must have been for Gabriel -- for the Lord is with the Blessed Virgin in a different way than He is with the angels, for He is with her, not only as Lord, but also as Son.
This is the third time this month I have read this Gospel. The first was December 8th at the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. The second was last Monday at week day Mass. We will read it again in the middle of Lent on the Feast of the Assumption of our Lord. It is a rich passage with much to say.
We can learn something from the Church’s multiple uses of this Gospel. As this word of God has application to different stages or phases of the Liturgical year, so may any particular word of God have application and re-application to the different stages of our own personal lives. God can say new things using the same “old” words.
Body:
Today, this gospel is coupled with the first reading about David wanting to build a suitable house for his Lord. This begins to paint a theme of God’s initiative and of bringing structure to religious practice.
In the story of the Annunciation, God took the initiative to first embrace us in His love. This embrace is followed by a human search for understanding, a “yes” response to a call, and a consistency and constancy of devotion to Our Lord.
Mary, our mother, role modeled for us the response she hopes all of us will make to the overtures of her son. Like her, we can search for understanding, but in the end our answer to His call is to be a resounding “yes”.
I believe Fr. Mike started us on this Advent journey with a message of Hope. As we bring this Advent season to a close, let me return to that message.
Last Thursday, the Iraqi people went to the polls to vote for representatives to their new government. They want to build a governing social structure and a governing house for themselves as a people. They went to the polls with hope in their hearts; hope for the birth of a new nation, one offering freedom and opportunity.
I see in these elections, a lot of what I see reflected in today’s gospel message. Christ’s coming to the world gave it hope. Before he came, many were anticipating the messiah, but envisioned that that messiah would be a leader of righteous insurgents. They thought that He would lead them to victory and establish peace through armed rebellion; much the way the insurgents in Iraq feel today.
Christ did not give us a way to secure our spiritual peace through force. He gave us the path of “choice”. He paid the price, but it is still up to us to choose to follow his way. His way is one of forgiveness, of compassion, of charity, and of healing.
The elections in Iraq seem to parallel this strategy. They can be seen as a test of whether a free vote is the best means for reconciling Iraq's vastly polarized ethnic and sectarian groups. Can a free choice defeat the Arab insurgency that is threatening to break the country apart?
The Shiite, the Sunni and the Kurdish. We are hopeful that Iraq's three main communities can reach an understanding. We are hopeful that they can talk to each other, can connect with each other, and can weave their country together like a piece of cloth. Weave it together though a free choice, and not though armed insurrection. And for those called to serve, we are hopeful they respond with selflessness and demonstrate statesmanship? Let us pray that they do.
Not only is this choice important for Iraq. It is important for America.
The results of the elections are likely to determine whether and to what extent significant withdrawals of American troops can be made. Some of those troops are our very own loved ones. That critical decision; whether American troop strength can be reduced will be largely determined by whether the country begins to stabilize.
As Christ chose forgiveness over vengeance, chose love over hate, chose humility over exaltedness, let our prayers be with the Iraqi people as they embark upon a path which chooses freedom and recognizes the dignity of all. And the greatest prayer we can offer is that of the Mass.
Conclusion:
We are so blessed to have the gift of the Mass. Our Mass has both the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Today, we have a gospel event that is as close fitting to our Mass as can be.
We are about to celebrate the birth of the incarnate Christ -- an incarnation that first took effect over two thousand years ago in the town of Nazareth. It was announced to a Virgin named Mary by the angel Gabriel. That which was incarnated and born to Mary was best described by the gospel writer John. He tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
The Word and the Eucharist were united in Mary as they are with us at Mass. Our Lady said: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word”. These were words of consecration bringing the second Person of the Blessed Trinity into her womb, into our race.
Gabriel said, “The Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called Son of God.” In a few moments, Father Mike will again witness the incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Holy Eucharist. Let us, with the joy and submissiveness of Mary, once again say “yes” and welcome Christ into our hearts.
This is our final week of Advent. We have been anticipating His coming, his arrival. We have prepared ourselves through prayer; maybe participating in weekly Vespers or last week’s Parish Penance Service. We have tried to maintain some semblance of quiet anticipation while being surrounded with secular celebrations. But, our time is coming. We will shortly join the outbursts of joy. For, Our God, our mighty God, is coming to us. He is about to join us in our humanity; thereby, giving us a share in his divinity, as adopted brothers and sisters. Come, Lord Jesus, Come!