Fourth Sunday of Advent, cycle B

FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT, CYCLE B
LUKE 1:26-38
WE'VE REACHED THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT, AND THE GOSPEL READING IS THE FAMILIAR STORY OF THE ANNUNCIATION.  I THINK IF WE COULD LOOK IN EACH OTHER'S MINDS, THE SCENE WOULD BE AS IT IS DEPICTED IN SO MANY PAINTINGS; MARY IN HER ROOM, PRAYING, THE ANGEL WITH A WHITE ROBE AND WINGS STANDING BEFORE HER; MAYBE A BIRD IN THE AIR REPRESENTING THE HOLY SPIRIT.  THE ANNUNCIATION HAS BEEN PORTRAYED OVER AND OVER AGAIN BY ARTISTS DOWN THROUGH THE AGES.  BUT THINK OF THIS; MARY DIDN'T HAVE HER OWN ROOM; IN THOSE DAYS MOST HOMES FOR THE LOWER CLASSES CONSISTED OF A SINGLE ROOM, AND THERE WAS NO LIGHT STREAMING INTO THE ROOM.  AT NIGHT THE FAMILY ALL SLEPT IN THE ROOM, BUT DURING THE DAY EXCEPT IN REALLY AWFUL WEATHER, MOST OF LIFE TOOK PLACE OUTSIDE, IN THE COURTYARD.  I DON'T THINK MARY WAS PRAYING WHEN THE ANGEL APPEARED TO HER.  I THINK SHE WAS PROBABLY WORKING – DOING WHAT A TEENAGE GIRL WAS SUPPOSED TO DO, WHICH MEANT “WOMEN'S WORK.”
MARY WAS A CHILD OF HER TIME.  HER PARENTS HAD ARRANGED WITH JOSEPH OR JOSEPH'S PARENTS THAT MARY WOULD BE MARRIED TO JOSEPH AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE, USUALLY WHEN JOSEPH HAD BUILT A HOME AND DEMONSTRATED THAT HE COULD MAKE A LIVING.  WHAT CONTACT THERE WAS BETWEEN JOSEPH AND MARY TOOK PLACE UNDER THE WATCHFUL EYES OF THE PARENTS; AND MARY FULLY EXPECTED, PERHAPS EVEN LOOKED FORWARD TO, TAKING ON THE ROLE OF A WIFE AND MOTHER.  FOR A DAUGHTER OF ISRAEL, THAT WAS THE HIGHEST ASPIRATION, AND IT WAS CONSIDERED A CURSE NOT TO HAVE BORNE CHILDREN.  MARY WAS GRATEFUL THAT HER OWN MOTHER WAS THERE TO TEACH HER HOW TO CARRY OUT THE DUTIES THAT WOULD BE EXPECTED  OF HER WHEN SHE BECAME THE  MATRON OF A HOUSEHOLD.
IT'S IN THIS CONTEXT THAT MARY LEARNS THAT GOD HAS OTHER PLANS, AND IT IS WHY SHE WAS GREATLY TROUBLED.  THE ANGEL GIVES HER A GLIMPSE OF THE FUTURE GOD HAS PLANNED FOR HER, A FUTURE THAT SHE CANNOT SEE HAPPENING.  HOW CAN SHE, A PEASANT GIRL, EVER GIVE BIRTH TO A KING WHO WILL BE GOD'S FAVORITE, AND RULE FOREVER?  CERTAINLY NOT IF SHE MARRIES JOSEPH.  MARY, WHO IS NO DUMMY, CAN'T CONCEIVE OF ANY WAY WHAT THE ANGEL IS SAYING COULD EVER HAPPEN, AND AT THIS POINT IN HER LIFE SHE IS STILL A VIRGIN.  A WEDDING DATE HAS NOT BEEN SET, AND PROBABLY SEEMED FAR OFF; AND THE ANGEL SPEAKS WITH SOME URGENCY, THAT THE MOMENT OF HER DECISION IS RIGHT NOW.
THE ANGEL TELLS HER THAT THIS WILL COME ABOUT THROUGH A MIRACLE.  THE ANGEL SPEAKS OF THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH OVERSHADOWING HER; MARY MUST HAVE REMEMBERED HOW GOD MADE HIS PRESENCE KNOWN TO THE ISRAELITES BY “OVERSHADOWING” THE ARK OF THE COVENANT; THE ISRAELITES KNEW THAT GOD WAS PRESENT WHEN A CLOUD DESCENDED ON THE ARK.  MARY REMEMBERS THAT GOD HAS KEPT HIS PROMISES IN THE PAST.  THE ANGEL SHOWS  HER THAT GOD IS STILL AT WORK IN THE WORLD, THAT HER COUSIN, WHO WAS THOUGHT TO BE BARREN, IS NOW PREGNANT AND IN HER SIXTH MONTH.
MARY AT THIS POINT HAS TO MAKE A DECISION.  SHE IS FREE TO REJECT WHAT THE ANGEL PROPOSES AND CONTINUE ON WITH THE LIFE SHE HAD PLANNED, THE LIFE SHE HAD ALWAYS EXPECTED TO LIVE.  OR SHE CAN ACCEPT THE ANGEL'S OFFER WITH ALL ITS UNCERTAINTY AND ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT MUST HAVE BEEN GOING ON IN HER MIND.  DOES SHE TRUST GOD?  CAN SHE STEP OUT IN FAITH?
AND SHE DOES.
DO YOU SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE?  YOU AND I GO THROUGH OUR OWN ANNUNCIATIONS.  GOD HAS GIVEN US CERTAIN GIFTS, SOME SMALL, SOME LARGE; AND GOD CHOOSES US TO TAKE PART IN HIS PLAN.  HE COMES TO US, WE DON'T GO TO HIM.  I  MAY THINK I COULD SERVE GOD REALLY WELL BY USING A PARTICULAR TALENT THAT I HAVE BEEN GIVEN, BUT GOD COMES TO ME AND  ASKS ME TO DO SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, MAYBE EVEN SOMETHING THAT I WOULD RATHER NOT DO.   AND WHEN I HEAR GOD ASKING ME TO DO SOMETHING, MY NATURAL REACTION IS TO BECOME GREATLY TROUBLED; BECAUSE HE IS ASKING ME SOMETHING THAT IS VERY HARD; TO GIVE UP WHAT I HAVE PLANNED AND DO WHAT HE HAS PLANNED FOR ME.  IT IS NO WONDER THAT MOST OF THE TIME GOD GETS A  “NO” FROM US.  NONE OF US LIKES HAVING OUR LIVES DISRUPTED AND OUR PLANS TRASHED.
AT THAT POINT GOD INVITES US TO LOOK BACK IN OUR PAST.  IT'S VERY HARD TO SEE GOD'S HAND IN OUR PRESENT MOMENT; BUT WHEN WE LOOK BACK, WE SEE, AS MARY SAW, THAT GOD DOES WORK IN OUR LIVES, AND IN OUR HISTORY.  AND SEEING THAT HE IS THERE, THAT HE IS TRUSTWORTHY, THAT THERE IS NO REASON FOR FEAR, EVEN IF WHAT HE IS ASKING US TO DO IS SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE, MAYBE THEN WE CAN SAY, WITH MARY:  “BE IT DONE TO ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD.”
I'VE HAD LITTLE ANNUNCIATIONS IN MY OWN LIFE, WHEN I'M PRETTY SURE GOD WAS INVITING ME TO STEP OUT OF MY LIFE INTO THE UNKNOWN – WHEN I GOT MARRIED; WHEN I GAVE UP A  SAFE AND SECURE JOB IN BUFFALO TO COME HERE AND TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE OF BUILDING A NEW PROGRAM FROM THE GROUND UP; AND WHEN IN THE MIDDLE OF MY MEDICAL CAREER I FELT CALLED TO BE A DEACON.  IN THESE DECISIONS, I SAID, “BE IT DONE TO ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD.”  BUT THERE HAVE BEEN MANY OTHER TIMES WHEN I'VE SAID, “NO, I'LL PASS, THANKS ANYWAY.”  THANK HEAVEN GOD IS MERCIFUL AND DOESN'T GIVE UP ON ME OR ON YOU..
THINK OF YOUR OWN LIFE AN TRY TO SEE WHERE YOU'VE HAD AN ANNUNCIATION.  AND WHAT DID YOU DO ABOUT IT?  IF YOU SAID YES, WONDERFUL.  WAS GOD FAITHFUL WHEN YOU TOOK ON THE TASK HE GAVE YOU?  BUT IF YOU SAID NO, EVEN THEN GOD DID NOT DESERT YOU, AND GOD PROBABLY CAME BACK AND ASKED YOU FOR SOMETHING ELSE.
THERE IS ONE OTHER  THING ABOUT AN  ANNUNCIATION – MARY'S, YOURS, MINE.  AFTER MARY SAID “YES” THE ANGEL LEFT HER.  ONE OF THE WAYS WE KNOW CHRIST IS BEING CONCEIVED IN US IS THAT WE EXPERIENCE A CERTAIN KIND OF LONELINESS, A BIT OF PAIN, JUST AS MARY DID WHEN JOSEPH AND HER OWN FAMILY LEARNED OF HER PREGNANCY.  BECAUSE WHEN GOD ASKS US TO BECOME DISCIPLES, TO FOLLOW HIS PLAN INSTEAD OF OUR OWN, OTHER PEOPLE ARE OFTEN AFFECTED AND THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO CHANGE, AND OFTEN PUT UP BARRIERS.  WHEN THE ANGEL LEFT MARY, THAT MAY HAVE BEEN THE ONE TIME  IN HER LIFE WHEN SHE TRULY FELT SHE WAS “BLESSED AMONG WOMEN”  BECAUSE FROM THEN ON THERE ARE FEW CONSOLATIONS AND MANY SAD DAYS, UNTIL THE RESURRECTION; AND EVEN THEN THE CHILD THAT SHE LOVED FROM THE BEGINNING IS TAKEN FROM HER.  FAITHFUL DISCIPLES MIGHT NEVER SEE THE CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR SAYING YES TO GOD UNTIL THE NEXT LIFE.  BUT THEN, THAT'S WHAT FAITH MEANS.