Thursday, December 22, 2016

Homily: Dec 22 2016 - Advent humility prepares us for Christmas joy



These final days of Advent are particularly Marian. Her faith, her wonder, her humility help us to prepare well, with faith, wonder, and humility, for the celebration of the Nativity. Yesterday, we read heard how, though she had just had the most unique and profound experience of God in human history, she in haste goes in charity to help her cousin Elizabeth. When Mary arrived, we heard of the incredible wonder of Elizabeth, that the Mother of Her Lord should come to her, a wonder that even filled John the Baptist in utero, who leapt in joy.

Today continues that story; when Mary witnesses the reaction of Elizabeth and her baby, Mary explodes in a song of wonder and praise. As Mary made that 60-mile trek from Nazareth to the hill country to visit Elizabeth, imagine how that wonder and praise began to bubble-up in within Mary. As she began to attempt to understand her profound and unique vocation, to be Mother of the Son of God, how did she even start to understand what just happened to her? As a woman of faith, no doubt, her reference was God’s word.

She is like Hannah, so joyful over God’s intervention, she is like Sarah amazed at what God has done, Mary is the tabernacle in the wilderness, carrying God’s presence, she is the burning bush which burns with fire but is not consumed, she is the ark of the covenant, carrying within it signs of God’s power and law, and of course she is the virgin foretold by Isaiah, who Son shall be Emmanuel.  
Mary is the culmination of the whole history of the ancient Hebrews. She is the perfection to which all of faithful Israel aspired through the long centuries of preparation for the coming of the Messiah, beginning with the promise given to Abraham.

This is one reason why it is so important to read God’s word, it gives our life a reference. It helps us to understand where we fit in to God’s plan. It gives us the vocabulary for praising God.

And upon reflection and meditation upon how salvation history was coming to fulfillment in her, whose praises does she sing in the Magnificat? She bursts forth with praise of God. It is God who casts down the mighty and lifts up the lowly, it is God who saves.

In the final days of Advent, perhaps our Christmas preparations require us to meditate on what God has done in our own lives: how has God humbled us in our pride, and lifted us up in our lowliness, how has God fed us when we were hungry and sent us away when we were rich and spoiled? And then to do something possibly uncharacteristically: to sing his praises for His activity in our lives, and finally, to contemplate in wonder and awe over what he accomplishes in our lives and at Christmas. For if we are not filled with wonder and praise for God on the feast of Christmas, have we really prepared for it?

Mary’s holiness, her profound joy, her wonder and awe stems from her profound humility in recognizing what God had done for her. Becoming humble like her is the best way to prepare for Christmas. So, like her, may we humbly, yet joyfully come to appreciate the great things God has done for us and for all mankind for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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