Sunday Reflections: Fourth Sunday of Advent (Year B)

Fourth Sunday of Advent (Year B)

2Sam 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16; Rom 16:25-27; Lk 1:26-38

image courtesy: Mangalore Diocese  

Story:

Some nursery school kids were preparing a Christmas play. Little Cynthia did not like the part she was assigned to play. She wanted to change parts with her friend Monica. When the teacher asked her why, she answered, “Because it is easier to be an angel than to be the mother of Christ.”

Message:

Our God is a God of surprises. He chose a simple woman to play a major role in the salvation history of humankind. In the Gospel of today we have the Annunciation narrative.  The first thing we notice here is that the initiative for the entire event comes from God.  We are also given the clues that this is not going to be like anything traditionally associated with the coming of Messiah.  The woman chosen for God’s great work is a very young unsuspecting virgin who comes from a town not even mentioned in the Old Testament. Indeed, that is the way God works. He has surprises to the humanity. He works in our lives very mysteriously. 

Mary is mother of Christ in two senses. She is mother of Christ in the physical sense that she carried Jesus in her womb and gave birth to him. This is an unrepeatable event and an honour that no other human being could share with her. But she is also mother of Christ in a spiritual sense. In a spiritual sense the role of being mother of Christ is available to all Christians. We all, men, women and children, can and should become mothers of Christ. 

Spiritual motherhood of Christ is attained by saying yes to God, even when God appears to demand from us what is humanly impossible, like asking Mary to be a virgin mother. To become mothers of Christ we need to make the prayer of Mary our own: “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). 

In this entire narrative of the Annunciation, I feel angel Gabriel looks more worried than Mary. Because, if Mary rejects the offer of God, what is next? By her simple YES, Mary signs a blank cheque. Mary allows God to write the amount, because Mary was sure that God will never leave her bankrupt. Nevertheless, Mary had to pay a great price for a simple YES. That is why in the story what Cynthia said, “…it is easier to be an angel than to be the mother of Christ” seems to be absolutely true. 

(You are most welcome to add your reflections and comments below)

Happy Sunday