By: FR. Jose “Joesum” Sumampong, Jr.
December 20, 2020
Fourth Sunday of Advent (Year B)
2 Samuel 7:1-16 / Psalm 89:2-29 /
Romans 16:25-27 / Luke 1:26-38
CHRISTMAS WITH AND THROUGH MARY
Word: One of the best ways to prepare for Christmas is to meditate on the narrative of the Annunciation. With a very definite purpose, Luke contrasts the announcement of John the Baptist’s birth, and the annunciation of the Birth of Jesus. Let’s look closely at them:
In John the Baptist: In Jesus:
Jerusalem… Nazareth…
in the Temple… in a particularhome…
to a priest… to a young girl…
who does not believe in
the message. who gives her consent.
In the opening text of today’s gospel, we are told that “In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary (cf. Lk 1:26-27).
First, about Nazareth. Nazareth is an insignificant village. Let’s take it from the descriptions by Joseph V. Landy, S.J.: “By our standards, Nazareth of two thousand years ago was a wretched place. Hidden in the hills of Galilee, itself a little esteemed corner of a much despised nation, it was totally unknown to the great world. Its inhabitants, like millions of nameless peasants who have trudged through history, eked out an existence so humdrum it would have driven us to distraction. They have none of the diversions that the most countrified people today take for granted. A home there was not even as a house, just a hillside cave with a crude board at its opening. How these rustics coped with boredom most of us find difficult to imagine” (Give Us This Day, p. 21).
The simplicity of Mary’s home contrasts with the solemnity of the announcements to Zechariah in the magnificent and sacred context of the Temple, in Jerusalem the capital (cf. Lk 1:5, 25).
Second, about the two historical truths concerning the origin of Jesus: his davidic filiation, and the virginity of his mother (cf. Mt 1:18-25). The name “Yoseph’el” means “May God add!”, and “Miryam” means “Noble Lady”.
Let’s go to the words of the angel: And coming to her, he said, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you” (Lk 1:28). We would have expected the angel to say, “hail, Mary!”. But instead of “Mary”, there is the phrase “O favored one”, which takes place of the name. As happening in many vocation narratives, God changes the name of someone. Mary becomes “the favored one”, which can also be translated as “full of grace”. The greeting “The Lord is with you” is the usual way in which God speaks to those whom he calls to assume heavy responsibilities (cf. Gen 15:1, Ex 4:12, Jgs 6:12,17).
The response of Mary, that is her “fear” or “awe”, is part of every annunciation narrative in the Old Testament. But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be (Lk 1:29). Once more we have here a biblical vocabulary, which means: pay attention! Here, we enter a mystery! These words have hidden meaning which we must discover! God is present, and for Mary this is something serious.
Why, Mary wondered, should she have a special place in his bounty? Seeing her confusion, the angel Gabriel went on to explain which begins with an assurance “Do not be afraid…” (Lk 1:30-33).
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Order: God did not introduce Mary into her motherly role without informing and consulting her beforehand. God does not place us before an accomplished fact: He respects liberty and responsibility at all levels. Through the words of the angel, Mary realized the essential, what was needed for her to take a deliberate decision: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38).
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Realities: A teacher had just given her primary grade class a science lesson on magnets. In the follow-up test, one question read: “My name starts with M and has six letters, and I pick up things. What am I?” She was a bit surprised to find half the class answered the question with the word: mother. (Quote, MOTHERS)
o0oDirection: In our daily living, God may announce to us through a friend’s remark that our life is off track and we need to change certain habits and behaviors. Or perhaps a priest or vowed religious asks if we’ve ever thought about a call to ordination or vows. Or someone in need ap- proaches us and we respond with care. In all these annunciations God is present, calling forth a response from us. How we respond to these messengers from God is how we respond to God. (Living Liturgy, Liturgical Press,