Annunciation, 3/25/13

TODAY, AT THE BEGINNING OF HOLY WEEK, WE HAVE AN UNUSUAL JUXTAPOSITION; THIS DAY IS ALSO THE FEAST OF THE ANNUNCIATION. IN THIS CENTURY THE FEAST OF THE ANNUNCIATION WILL FALL ON MONDAY OF HOLY WEEK FOUR TIMES. THE NEXT TIME IT HAPPENS WILL BE IN 2024, AND THEN, NOT UNTIL 2086.

I HAVE A GRANDDAUGHTER WHO IS GOING ON 12. SHE IS LOSING HER TOMBOYISHNESS, HER WILLINGNESS TO MIX IT UP WITH HER BROTHERS, HER EXCITEMENT AT GOING BIKING WITH HER OLD GRANDFATHER. AND SHE LIKES TO PUT ON ELEGANT CLOTHING, AND HELP HER MOTHER OUT WITH THE LITTLE BROTHER. SOMETIMES SHE REVERTS, BUT MOSTLY, NOWADAYS, SHE IS TRYING ON AND GETTING MORE COMFORTABLE IN THE ROLE OF WOMAN, AS OPPOSED TO GIRL. AND I'M NOT ALL THAT HAPPY ABOUT IT, YOU CAN BE SURE.
MARY WAS LIKE THAT. PROBABLY 12 OR 13, IN THAT TRANSITION PERIOD. LIKE MY GRANDDAUGHTER SHE PROBABLY WAS CHANGING INTO A WOMAN. IN ANY EVENT, LIKE OTHER 12-14 YEAR OLD GIRLS, SHE WAS ALREADY ENGAGED. IT WAS JUST PART OF LIFE; HER PARENTS HAD ARRANGED WITH HIS PARENTS THE BRIDAL PRICE, AND THE YOUNG MAN JOSEPH WOULD BE HER HUSBAND, UNLESS SHE REFUSED. AND SHE HADN'T.

IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, THERE ARE MANY ENCOUNTERS BETWEEN THE HEROES AND HEROINES AND GOD HIMSELF. AND THE USUAL REACTION IS, “WHY ME?” OR “YOU DON'T MEAN ME, DO YOU?” OR “BUT I'M NOT ABLE TO DO THIS”. THINK OF JONAH, WHO TRIED TO GET AS FAR AWAY FROM GOD AS HE POSSIBLY COULD. THINK OF MOSES, WHO TOLD GOD THAT HE WAS NOT THE ONE TO LEAD THE HEBREWS, BECAUSE HE HAD A SPEECH PROBLEM. THINK OF SARAH, WHO LAUGHED WHEN GOD PROMISED HER A CHILD. BUT IN THE END, THE HEROES AND HEROINES CARRIED OUT WHAT GOD ASKED THEM TO DO. ABRAHAM LEFT THE COMFORT OF HOME TO BECOME A WANDERER; HOSIAH AT GOD'S COMMAND DID MARRY A PROSTITUTE; AND MOSES DID LEAD THE ISRAELITES OUT OF EGYPT.

BUT MARY IS DIFFERENT. I THINK OF MY GRANDDAUGHTER. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF AN ANGEL APPEARED TO HER AND ASKED HER TO BE THE MOTHER OF THE SON OF GOD? WOULD SHE THINK ABOUT THE EFFECT ON HER PARENTS, HER TEACHERS, HER PARISH PRIEST? WHO WOULD BELIEVE HER? OR WOULD SHE IN THAT IDEALISM THAT SEEMS TO SHINE IN THOSE ON THE VERGE OF ENTERING THEIR TEEN YEARS, HAVE UNHESITATINGLY SAID YES, AND CONSIDERED THE CONSEQUENCES LATER?

MARY DID CONSIDER THE CONSEQUENCES. “HOW CAN THIS BE,” SHE SAID, “SEEING THAT I DO NOT KNOW A MAN?” AND THEN, KNOWING FULL WELL THE POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES, SHE SAYS YES. AND AFTERWARD HER LIFE WAS COMPLETELY CHANGED. FROM TWENTY CENTURIES AWAY, WE PERHAPS IMAGINE MARY IN HER OLDER YEARS, CARED FOR BY JOHN, TELLING HER STORY TO LUKE, AND BEING REVERED BY THE EARLY CHRISTIANS AS THE MOTHER OF THE SAVIOR. AND MAYBE THAT WAS THE WAY THINGS WENT, I HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING. BUT THOSE FIRST YEARS – GIVING BIRTH IN A STABLE, WITH JOSEPH AS THE MIDWIFE? CROSSING THE DESERT INTO EGYPT TO ESCAPE HEROD? LOSING JESUS FOR THREE DAYS WHEN HE WAS ONLY TWELVE? TRYING TO LIVE IN NAZARETH AS A WIDOW, WHEN THE TOWNSPEOPLE HAD DECIDED THAT JESUS WAS NO LONGER WELCOME? AND WATCHING HIM DIE LIKE A COMMON CRIMINAL. AND WE FORGET, SOMETIMES THAT THERE WERE RUMORS GOING AROUND WHEN THE EARLY CHRISTIANS INSISTED THE JESUS HAD RISEN FROM THE DEAD, RUMORS THAT JESUS WAS THE ILLEGITIMATE SON OF A ROMAN SOLDIER. AND THOSE RUMORS MIGHT VERY WELL HAVE STARTED BACK IN NAZARETH. MARY'S LIFE WAS NEVER EASY; DID SHE EVER ASK, WITH SAINT THERESA OF AVILLA, “GOD, IF THIS IS THE WAY YOU TREAT YOUR FRIENDS, NO WONDER YOU HAVE SO FEW OF THEM.”

WHEN MARY SAID YES, SHE BECOMES A PATRONESS TO YOUNG PEOPLE, WHO ARE NOT BOUND DOWN BY COMMITMENTS AND JOBS AND MORTGAGES AND CHILDREN, YOUNG PEOPLE WHO CAN SAY “OK” WHEN GOD COMES CRASHING INTO THEIR LIVES.

WHEN MARY SAYS YES, SHE IS THE EXAMPLE FOR ALL THOSE WHO ANSWER GOD'S CALL AND GET LAUGHED AT, GET PERSECUTED, FIND OUT WHO THEIR REAL FRIENDS ARE. SHE IS THE EXAMPLE THOSE WHO ARE EMBARRASSMENTS TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY. SHE IS THERE FOR THOSE WHO FIND THAT WHEN YOU SAY YES TO GOD LIFE DOESN'T SUDDENLY BECOME SAFE AND ORDERLY AND PEACEFUL. IN FACT, SAYING YES TO GOD, MARY SHOWS US, USUALLY MEANS THINGS ARE GOING TO GET WORSE BEFORE THEY GET BETTER.

WHEN MARY SAYS YES, WHEN SHE WITHOUT HESITATION TAKES ON THE AWESOME CHARGE TO BECOME THE MOTHER OF GOD'S SON, SHE FORESHADOWS HIS OWN YES, THE YES THAT LEADS TO THE CROSS, THE YES THAT WILL FIND HIM RIDICULED AND LAUGHED AT AND DESERTED BY HIS FRIENDS AND HIS PEOPLE.

WHEN MARY SAYS YES, SHE ENCOURAGES US NOT ONLY TO SAY YES TO GOD, BUT TO SAY YES WITH ABANDONMENT, ACCEPTING WHATEVER CONSEQUENCES COME TO US BECAUSE OF THIS YES. BECAUSE THROWING YOURSELF INTO GOD'S ARMS IS ALWAYS SO MUCH BETTER THAN TRYING TO MAKE IT ON YOUR OWN.