- Admin
- Dec 20, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: Dec 21, 2024
December 23 - December 27, 2024
Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24 To music lovers, this reading will sound familiar, from Handel’s Messiah. Malachi says that a gure like Elijah will usher in the end. This was taken to John the Baptist who ushered in, so to speak, the Messiah and the messianic age.
Luke 1:57-66 The birth of John is told to lay the foundation for the similar yet signicantly different birth of Jesus. Both come as the result of a promise. On both occasions, there is “treasuring in the heart.” Both children will enjoy the blessing of God. And yet, one is the forerunner and the other is the Christ.
2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8-12, 14, 16 Anyone who comes to Mass on this morning will hear a striking reading from 2 Samuel 7: in reality one of the key texts in the Old Testament. It portrays the delity of God as seen in God’s loyalty to David and his house. It makes for a great nal reaction as we come to mark the birth of Jesus, the son of David, in whom all of God’s faithfulness came to be for us.
There is some word play in today’s reading: house means temple, residence and family line. Even in Nathan’s correction of David, a tremendous promise of God’s faithful through time, it comes to expression.
Luke 1:67-79 The Benedictus takes up the theme of the House of David and goes on to praise God who is now fullling in John and in Jesus his promises of old. The future role of John the Baptist is hauntingly evoked: to prepare the way for him, to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins; this by the tender mercy of our God.
Pope Francis on the Annunciation
In this Gospel passage, we notice a contrast between the promises of the angel and Mary’s response. This contrast is manifested in the dimension and content of the expressions of the two protagonists. The angel says to Mary: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever” (vv. 30-33). It is a long revelation which opens unprecedented possibilities. The Child that will be born to this humble girl from Nazareth will be called Son of the Most High. It is not possible to conceive of a higher dignity than this. And after Mary’s question in which she asks for an explanation, the angel’s revelation becomes even more detailed and surprising.
On the other hand, Mary’s reply is a short sentence that does not speak of glory. It does not speak of privilege but only of willingness and service: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (v. 38). The content is also different. Mary does not exalt herself before the prospect of becoming the mother of the Messiah, but rather remains modest and expresses her acceptance of the Lord’s plan. Mary does not boast. She is humble and modest. She always remains the same.
This contrast is meaningful. It makes us understand that Mary is truly humble and does not try to be noticed. She recognises that she is small before God and she is happy to be so. At the same time, she is aware that the fullment of God’s plan depends on her response, and that therefore she is called to accept it with her whole being.
In this circumstance, Mary’s behaviour corresponds perfectly to that of the Son of God when he comes into the world. He wants to become the Servant of the Lord, to put himself at the service of humanity to full the Father’s plan. Mary says: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord”; and the Son of God upon entering the world says: “Lo, I have come to do thy will, O God” (Heb 10:7). Mary’s attitude fully mirrors this statement by the Son of God who also becomes the son of Mary. Thus Our Lady shows that she is in perfect accord with God’s plan. Furthermore she reveals herself as a disciple of his Son, and in the Magnicat, she will be able to proclaim that God has “exalted those of low degree” (Lk 1:52) because with her humble and generous response, she has obtained great joy and also great glory.
As we admire our Mother for this response to God’s call to mission, we ask her to help each of us to welcome God’s plan into our lives with sincere humility and brave generosity.
References
-United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (2024ak, December 22). Fourth Sunday of Advent. USCCB. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/122224.cfm
-Sunday readings. (n.d.-s). Hearers of the Word. https://www.tarsus.ie/SundayReadings/
