4TH SUNDAY OF ADVENT 23

 4TH SUNDAY ADVENT, 24 DECEMBER 2023, LUKE 1.26-38 Thrust: Fear not, for God is with us! Indicative: God has wonderful plans for us. At times and often, how he executes them may not be clear and even confounding. But no worry! 1.      The other day, through His angel, God encountered Zechariah and revealed His plan for the birth of John the Baptist in the womb of the barren Elizabeth. Today, God through His angel encounters the virgin Mary and reveals His plan for the birth of Jesus, the Saviour in her virginal womb. 2.      But if we analyse a little, the immediate consequences of such a happening, that is the birth of a child, are contrasting. In the case of Elizabeth, it is in fact, a great grace, a matter to rejoice. Her barrenness would be eliminated. But in the case of Mary, it is a matter of disgrace. Her dignity and integrity would come under suspicion. 3.      Here comes the great depth of Mary’s faith. Once she knows that it is all God’s plan, there is no more question. No argument, no reluctance, no hesitation. No seeking concession. No request for making things clear to her husband and family. No worries at all about the future consequences of a suspected pregnancy. 4.      Her faith comprises profound humility, wholehearted docility, and an unreserved surrender. She declares emphatically, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be to me according to your word”. 5.      A little note on the Salutation of the Angel to Mary: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you”. Mary is worthy of the salutation by God Himself. She is full of grace. In a world where sometimes it is difficult to have even a fraction of grace, Mary stands as the fullness of grace. She is full of grace because the Lord is with her. 6. In reference to the first reading, we can also draw another pointer for reflection. "God wants to dwells amidst us and with us". He needs a residence. But He is not much interested in material structures, however splendid they are. Primarily, He wants to reside in human hearts and communities. The whole incarnation is nothing but God residing in us and with us! Imperative: Like Mary, we are also called, not to be afraid when things go wrong or remain unclear. Being free is possible only when we find favour with God (Reflection 2) Focus: If only we cooperate! Indicative: Miracles happen when there is a combination of God’s grace and action and human reception and cooperation   1.      God sends His angel to Mary with His plan of incarnation for salvation. He seeks and awaits her approval. This is precisely the nobility and magnanimity of God: Even though He can do very well without us, He wants to involve us and wants us to be His collaborators and sharers. It is only because He loves us. True love values others and respects each person’s dignity and honour. 2.       How noble and magnanimous we are, being His children? How much do we see all others as persons of dignity and respectability? How much do we treat others with respect? How often and how easily do we despise others, showing false greatness and sticking to our own ideas, opinions, and prejudices? 3.       Then from the part of Mary, what humility, docility, and surrender to God’s grace and plan! What humility! She does not get puffed up that God Himself is standing at His door for her approval. She does not forget her finitude as a creature before God’s infinity. In all humility, she is aware that the offer of her divine maternity is not her merit or greatness but God’s love and care. 4.       What docility! She does not contest, argue, reject or doubt God’s plan. Even her question, “How it is possible to bear a son without rapport with her spouse” is a quite normal and legitimate question expected from a simple teenage girl, brought up in faith and morals. 5.       Perhaps bearing children outside the marital bond may not be a big issue for many in our modern society. But for her society and tradition, certainly, it was a matter of immorality and infidelity. But in her docility, she risked being labelled immoral and unfaithful. For her, what mattered the most was God’s plan and salvation of all, and not her human thinking and reputation. 6.       Then what surrender!: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord! Be it done unto me according to your word!” Often we are so accustomed to these words of Mary that we take for granted and take light the immensity of Mary’s act of acceptance. 7.       It needed the guts of the spirit to utter such words of total surrender. What surrender! She has no discussion, no conditions, and no suggestions. She does not clarify how God would safeguard her reputation, or how God would let others know about her virginity and innocence despite conception. 8.       She does not request God at least to convince her spouse. She is not much worried about the myriads of uncertainties and risks that await her. Her only concern was to do God’s will and an unconditional ‘Yes’ to God’s will. 9.       Now it is not enough to admire Mary for her humility, docility, and surrender. What about our humility, docility, and surrender? A little talent, a little capacity, a little money, a little position, how much we become arrogant? Even concerning spiritual gifts, how easily do we succumb to the feeling that I am better than others, I am greater than others? 10.   How docile we are? Even though many times God proposes, inspires, advises, and admonishes many things, how much we can be obstinate and fixated, clinging to our own ideas and calculations? Do we give more importance to our human intelligence, reasoning, and decisions, rather than God’s wisdom and promptings? Do we know better than God? Can we do better than God? 11.   How often do we lack the spirit of surrender? We try to convince God that it is not right and possible to do His will. We have a hundred and one reasons to explain and justify why we cannot surrender to God’s ways. 12.   We fail to surrender only because self-interests become the centre of our whole thinking and not God’s will and the good of others. We may allow ourselves to be carried away by what is false, what is ignominious, what is unjust, what is impure, what is inaffable, what is dishonourable, what is vice and harmful.   Direction: Today let us pray that we may become more and more humble, docile, and surrendered like Mary because only thus, we can receive the Savior and experience his saving touch.