First Reading – 2 Samuel 7: 1 – 5, 8 – 12, 14,16.
Second Reading – Romans 16: 25 – 27,
Gospel – Luke 1: 26 – 38
“ I am the handmaid of the Lord”
“Mary did you know?” One of the most beautiful of the modern Christmas songs was written by a man who is best known, perhaps, as a comedian. His name is Mark Lowry. Lowry is also a musician of some note. He performed for many years with the Gaither Vocal band. In 1984 he was asked to pen some words for his local church choir, and he wrote a poem that begins like this, “Mary, did you know that your baby boy would one day walk on water? Mary, did you know that your baby boy would save our sons and daughters?” A few years later guitarist Buddy Greene added a perfectly matching tune and a wonderful song was born. “Mary, did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod? Mary, did you know when you kiss your little baby, you kiss the face of God!” Each of the little couplets touches the heart in a wonderful way. “Mary, did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation? Mary, did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?” The song’s been around now for nearly two decades. Listen for it on the radio. The most popular version is sung by Kenny Rogers and Wynonna Judd.) “Mary, did you know . . . ?” How could Mary have known what was happening to her with all that would follow when the Angel Gabriel came to her long ago? Only Luke tells this story, and we have it in today’s Gospel.
Today’s readings focus on the circumstances leading up to the first coming of Jesus, which sets the pattern for his coming to us now and at the end of time. The Gospel stresses the key role of Mary in the work of our salvation. The focus of today’s liturgy is the Davidic covenant, the promise of a throne that will last forever, which appears in the First Reading in the Responsorial Psalm, and in the Gospel, where the Angel Gabriel announces to Mary that “the Lord God will give (her son) the throne of David his father.” Thus, today’s Scripture texts describe God’s promise to David and its fulfilment in Jesus, the Son of David. They also tell us that God’s preparation for the coming of Jesus was full of surprises. The First Reading surprises us by telling of God’s promise to David that he would have a long line of royal descendants culminating in a final King, Jesus Christ. God’s response to David’s wish (to build Him a Temple), is that God will do more for David (build an everlasting dynasty) than David could ever do for God.
Today’s Gospel surprises us by telling us that this King would be born to an ordinary virgin, not by means of physical relationship, but through the Holy Spirit, and that the Son of God, Jesus, would become Incarnate as a descendant of David. This would occur through Joseph, Mary’s betrothed husband and the legal father of her son, as Joseph was “of the House of David.” The Gospel narrative surprises us also by reminding us that God’s promise is best fulfilled not in buildings, or even in great kings like Solomon, but rather in humble souls like Mary, who trusted in God’s promise. The Second Reading also surprises us with Paul’s explanation of the unveiling of God’s plan for human salvation through Jesus. Thus, the unfolding of God’s plan of salvation though history has contained many surprises.
We need to say a courageous and generous “Yes” to God as Mary did. True obedience comes from a free choice made in the light of what is true and good. It often requires a great deal of courage because it can involve going against the tide of social expectations. True obedience also aims at putting oneself at the service of something / someone that is greater than oneself by accepting what God clearly wants us to do, or what He wants to do through us. Jesus’ own moment of greatness, like his mother’s, came when He said “Yes,” to his Father in Gethsemane, and Jesus’ own obedience is our model. Will we surrender to God and allow God to do what, from our human point of view, seems impossible? Will we surrender our agenda, our will and our kingdom to God and allow God’s agenda, will and Kingdom become a reality for and through us? It is by saying, with Jesus and Mary, a wholehearted and totally unconditional “Yes,” to God that Jesus will be re-born in each of us – or maybe even born in us for the first time. By my saying “yes,” Jesus may well be born or reborn in others too.