Homily for the Week of December 18, 2011

Fourth Sunday of Advent 2011
2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16 (11B)
Romans 16: 25-27
Luke 1:26-38

So very frequently the stories or the information that are described to us in our Bible readings each weekend may seem to many of you far from the real world of our daily lives. But at times it can be easy for us to make the jump of two or three thousand years when we apply the events of the Bible to our lives. Such is the story of the angel Gabriel who came to a young teen age girl of the village of Nazareth named Mary and said Hail full of grace, the Lord is with you. She became afraid. To help her with her anxiety Gabriel, Do not be afraid Mary, for you have found favor from God.

Over the years I have often heard the same story from those preparing for a Catholic wedding. One of their greatest fears is being good parents and knowing what to do as parents with their first child. This is especially a concern when one of the couple is from a small family. But when the child is born their fear gives way to love. They quickly realize that the newly born baby they hold in their arms is the closest is a gift from God. Their child is a living example of God’s love for them and God’s presence in their lives. Love becomes their teacher.

In a similar way Mary at first was troubled. Gabriel does not give her details. In fact he told her very little, except that nothing is impossible when God is part of the picture. He only tells her that God has chosen her, and because of that God would protect her. She consented to God’s offer. Through her God gave us the gift of Jesus.

Luke’s gospel for today unfolds the mystery of Advent. God has decided to send someone like us to free us from sin and to show us how we can love others as ourselves. He is never more delighted than to dwell in human hearts that return great love for them. Love is God’s luxury palace. Love is the message which Mary gave to the angel when she was invited to be the mother of Jesus.

Spiritually, the last three weeks of Advent have been all about waiting for the birth of a child in Bethlehem by the name of Jesus. And hopefully we know now what the waiting was all about. But there is more to the waiting. It was so that we could live our lives in happiness and hope even when we have a world at war, and because of it, many families this Christmas will not have their loving sons or daughters at home around the table or the Christmas tree.

Our faith convinces us that God is always with us. He helps to make sense of our suffering and miseries and death of loved ones. He helps us to believe that we are part of a much larger Advent when love will be born for the last time. Each of us can say an unqualified Yes to God and to our life, much as Mary did, or we can decide to spent our time in stress and hopleslessness.

At the time today’s Gospel story was written, an unmarried girl in similar circumstances could be stoned to death. Yet Mary, who has made every decision in her life based on what God would do, once again decides to place her trust in God and do things His way. Mary is a remarkable example for us of someone who involves God in all that they do. Do we even bother to involve Him in the big decisions of the day -- or even the small decisions?

Like with Mary God also calls us day by day. He may not send and angel Gabriel to us, but instead he talks to us when we are alone and talk to ourselves out loud or in silence. God talks to us through the miracles and blessings that fill our daily lives. They are much like the blessings he gave to so many who came to him: to those who were anxious, to those who had smothered their life through bad things; to those who needed comfort after the sickness or death of a loved one. But sometimes God’s invitation to us is so muffled that we cannot hear it. Or we may be afraid that we are not worthy of God, or ashamed of ourselves. But we must trust that God is always part of the package. God always talks to us in love.

At school we are faced with many decisions, some involve pressure that is being put on us by our classmates. It seems easier to neglect God and do what our classmates want us to do, since we have to deal with them every day.

At work many of our decisions affect others. Do we always consider the effect that our decisions are going to have on others? Do we ever ask God what we should do?

Do our decisions at home with our family always involve thinking of all of them first and ourselves last? As we await the joyful birth of our Lord Jesus next weekend let us pray for perseverance: for the grace to be faithful in good times and in bad, in season and out of season. Like Mary, let us involve God in all of our decisions. And in all of our decisions, like Mary, let us also try to say to God: Let it be done to me as you would like.