Mary's Yes - Deacon Ron's Homily, Fourth Sunday Advent – Cycle A – 12/21/14

Good evening/morning!   So has your Advent gone preparing for the Jesus coming?   I’m sure you’ve been busy getting ready for Christmas, putting up decorations, buying presents, and preparing to receive guests or to travel and your all set.   Or maybe you’re like me and still have a few of these things to do. Getting ready for Christmas can be a little overwhelming!  Thankfully we have the season of Advent to help us get ready.   The last three weekends we’ve focused on watching, waiting, preparing, and rejoicing in the Lord’s coming.  Now in this final week we’re invited to ponder what the birth of Jesus means and what God is asking of us.

We hear in today’s Gospel the angel Gabriel is sent from God to a virgin, Mary, betrothed to Joseph from the house of David.   Luke sets up the stage for the fulfillment of the prophecy we heard in today’s first reading. We also hear that Mary is troubled by the angels greeting, “Hail, full of Grace.  The Lord is with you.” Why would this trouble her? This is not the usual Hebrew greeting she would hear which is, shalom, meaning, “peace be with you”.   The greeting is in Greek.  Hail means Rejoice or Joy.   The second part of the greeting: “full of grace!” is related to the first.  The root of the word grace is based on the same Greek root of joy.  Why would Gabriel use this greeting? Because joy and grace belong together announcing the good news of the Gospel.

The angel then tells her ” Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and you shall name him Jesus” and “he will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of this kingdom there will be no end”. The angel is rejoicing in the gift of the Holy Spirit that brings about the conception of Jesus, a name that means God saves. This greeting in Greek rather than Hebrew is a sign that salvation is coming for all people.  This is truly good news.  First she ponders this greeting.  Mary is troubled, but she doesn’t stay this way.    She reflects in her heart on the angel’s greeting and seeks to understand the significance of the message. Gabriel gives her some peace telling her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God”.   We can learn from Mary to reflect in prayer on situations that may seem troubling, and to try understanding them in God’s overall plan.

Mary’s second reaction is to ask a question.   She dialogues with God’s messenger.  It’s a two-way communication.    This is a good model for us to follow, in our prayer life.   Prayer is dialogue with God.    It’s not just about asking God for something, but also having a conversation with Him.   Mary’s doesn’t doubt what’s being told to her, but she’s just trying to understand how conceiving a child was possible for her.

The angel answers Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the most high will overshadow you.  Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God”.  To reassure Mary the angel tells of her cousin, Elizabeth, who was childless and beyond childbearing age is now 6 months pregnant.  He tells her “nothing will be impossible for God.”

Mary’s final reaction is her response to God.  Mary was free to choose to say yes or no, just like we are.   It’s amazing that God, who created humanity, would rely on a humble young woman’s response to restore humanity.  Mary pondered and chose to say yes: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.  May it be done to me according to your word”.  This yes set in motion to reversal of Adam and Eve’s no and brought about the salvation of humanity through the birth of Jesus.

It’s said that Mary’s answer of yes to God allowed her to conceive through her ear.  She heard the word of God and said yes.   We in a sense have a similar experience, saying yes to God at baptism and becoming children of God.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit our baptism washes our original sin, and we can be the bearers of the God like Mary in receiving Jesus in the Eucharist.   

Why don’t we use the last few days of Advent to ponder in our hearts this great gift of Mary’s conception of Jesus through the Holy Spirit.  St. Augustine said that Mary conceived Christ in her heart by faith before she conceived him in her womb.  As we approach the birth of Christ, may seek to have faith in this mystery and to say yes to following God’s will.  May the Eucharist we are about to receive give us strength us to respond as Mary did.