December 24, 2017 — Fourth Sunday of Advent
2 SM 7: 1-5, 8B-12, 14A, 16; PS 89: 2-5, 27, 29; ROM 16: 25-27; LK 1: 26-38
“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” With those words our Blessed Mother Mary places her total trust in God. We are called to do the same, and this final Sunday of Lent is the time for us to do that, if we have not previously. Mary’s response to God is the same response we need to offer the Lord. It is most appropriate that we hear this message at this time and on this day.
This took much more trust in the Lord than we might imagine. Mary agreed to receive a pregnancy that would be seen as suspect in a culture which had a potential death penalty for adultery. Spiritually speaking, there are similarities between the Lord’s work in Mary and His work in all of us. Jesus lives within each of us spiritually. He lived in Mary not only spiritually but also physically.
Jesus was made visible to the world through Mary physically, but He should be made visible to the world through us as well. Who we are and how we relate to and treat others is a sign to the world of Who Jesus is and what a Christian is and should be. Are we showing the world what it means to be His disciple? Is there a better time than this to do so?
The entertainer and comedian Bob Hope once said, “My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?”
