Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent
Scientists estimate that there are at least 1 billion stars in our Milky Way galaxy. Based on powerful telescopes such as NASA's famous Hubble telescope, scientists further estimate that there are at least 1 billion such galaxies in the universe. It's difficult to comprehend the vastness of those numbers and the size of the universe, let alone the God who created it all. And yet this same God who created every star and every galaxy became man and was born in a humble manger- hardly a home fit for the Most High God. We may think to ourselves, "How can the God of the universe make His home in a manger?"
King David struggles with nearly this same question in today's first reading from 2 Samuel. He says to the prophet Nathan, "Here I am living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God dwells in a tent!" In response to David's desire to build a house for Him, God makes a covenant with David to establish a house with him, promising David an eternal seed, an eternal kingdom, and an eternal throne. All of these promises are perfectly fulfilled in Jesus Christ, described by Zechariah in today's Gospel from Luke as our "mighty Savior, born of the house of his servant David." Therefore, it wasn't simply a matter of David building a home for God, but also God dwelling in the house of David- the lineage of David. For us, as disciples, we reproduce this scenario in the present day by not only being "home at Church," where God Himself dwells, but also by being "Church at home" by inviting God to become part of our homes, our families, and our futures. Throughout Advent this has been our challenge and our goal- to invite Jesus, God with us, to make His home in us and the lives of our families.
Among all of our preparations for the coming of Christmas, we probably have taken significant time to prepare our homes during Advent. In a visible, exterior sense, we might have put up a Christmas tree, decorated our homes with lights, or perhaps currently display a manager scene in a prominent place in our homes. For myself, decorating the house for Christmas was always a time that I cherished as a child and a time that I still look forward to with much anticipation. But what about the invisible, internal preparations of our homes for Christmas? Have we made our homes a type of Church in preparation for the Lord? Have we taken the time to transform our homes and communities into places of holiness, sacredness, and right relationships? After the angel has been placed on the tree and the stockings have been hung by the chimney with care, we take an inventory of our preparations and we ask ourselves, "Is my home prepared for Jesus?"
As we reflect seriously upon this question this Christmas Eve, with only one day left until Christmas Day, I think it's fitting that today's Gospel should describe the mission of John the Baptist. As prophesied by Zechariah, John the Baptist was called to prepare the way of Jesus, "to give His people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins." We, like John, are called to prepare the way of Jesus, particularly in our homes. John's important mission of preparation would not be fulfilled until after the birth of Jesus, which reminds us today that our preparations will also continue after the birth of Jesus and are ongoing as part of our discipleship.
Today, may we also remind ourselves why the God of every star and every galaxy made His home in the manger, with all of the simplicity and lack of preparation that that entailed - to unite us, including our homes and our families, to Himself- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! This Christmas, may Christ "shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and guide our feet into the way of peace." (Lk. 1:79) Amen.
Ryan J. Mahle