Saturday of the Third Week of Advent
My kids here at Immaculate Conception school are truly an amazing bunch. In the last few weeks I have shared their notes with you. And here is another one. This kid writes, “Thank you Mary for having Jesus in your tummy. XoXoXo.” Today, I want to join in that sentiment. Just a day before Christmas I would like to thank Mary. In reality I should be talking about Mary and Joseph. I figured I will do that for the feast of the Holy Family. Today, I want to dedicate to Mary.
Mary teaches us a few life-lessons.
a) 1. Being available to God. When the angel came to her, she made herself available to God in way that no human person had ever done before. Her engagement to Joseph, her family, her parents, her reputation, her personal life… she risked everything to be available for God. Mary’s radical availability was very necessary for the sake of human redemption. The first Eve did the opposite. Eve became unavailable to God. After their disobedience she and Adam hid from God. Mary changes that unavailability into a radical availability not only for her but for the entire human race. “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.”
When Christ came to us as a baby, there was no room for him in Bethlehem. Mary made room for him in her womb for us and for the whole world. She was available to God. I hope that this advent each one of us was available to God and that this Christmas there will be room for him in our life, for our sake the sake of the world.
b) 2. Mary kept God at the Center. If this is true that Mary was a teenager when the angel came to her, I admire her maturity and her spiritual sensitivity. How was it that Mary could discern that her conversation with Gabriel was indeed holy? How could give her consent to the angel without consulting her parents? How it that she was able to lay her own desires aside for the Spirit of God to have his way in her? I am amazed at Mary’s ability to keep God at the Center. Beyond the annunciation and birth of Jesus, Mary must have had so many questions. Why did they have to flee to Egypt? Why did Herod kill the innocent children? Why did Jesus face opposition? Why did they falsely accuse him and kill him. Here is the bottom line – no matter what life offered her, Mary kept God at the very center of her life. She transcended herself to have Christ at the center.
Our country has just been devastated by tragic events. Our own personal life can be thrown array. Mary teaches us to keep Christ at the center. Salvation is the transcending of our self and losing our self into God. This advent may Christ be a the very center of our lives.
c) 3. Mary’s faith is seen in her tenderness and strength. Mary holds her son close to her bosom two times. When the Magi came to see Christ they found him with his mother. She held him close to her heart. Her hopes, her dreams, and all that the angel promised her about her son were yet to come to fruition. She held him another time – this time his battered, bruised and lifeless body. All the dreams, hopes, and the promise of the angel were nailed to the cross. But she held his bruised body with the same tenderness with which he held him when he was a helpless baby. Tenderness and strength combined in this holy woman of faith.
Mary is my model for priest, pastor, leader, teacher, disciple, servant and friend that I must be. I cannot ask you that she be your model as well. But it is worth reflecting on the tenderness and strength of this woman, because this woman of faith gave us Jesus.
Very soon the bread and wine will become the flesh and blood of Jesus. This is the same flesh and blood that Mary carried in her womb. This is the same flesh and blood that she made room for. This the same flesh and blood for which Mary made herself unconditionally available. As we receive the bread and, let us make room for Jesus like Mary did. May Christ and only Christ be at the center of our life. Amen.
- Fr. Satish Joseph