From the Pastor - Fourth Sunday of Advent
From the Pastor - Fourth Sunday of Advent
Reflection on the Readings
“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to Your word.” With those words, our Blessed Mother Mary places her total trust in God. We are called to do the same, and this final Sunday of Advent is the time for us to do that, if we have not previously. Mary’s response to God is the same response we need to offer the Lord. It is most appropriate that we hear this message at this time and on this day.
This took much more trust in the Lord than we might imagine. Mary agreed to receive a pregnancy that would be suspect in a culture which had a potential death penalty for adultery. Spiritually speaking, there are similarities between the Lord’s work in Mary and His work in all of us. Jesus lives within each of us spiritually. He lived in Mary not only spiritually but also physically.
Jesus was made visible to the world through Mary physically, but He should be made visible to the world through us as well. Who we are and how we relate to and treat others is a sign to the world of Who Jesus is and what a Christian is and should be. Are we showing the world what it means to be His disciple? Is there a better time than this to do so?
The entertainer and comedian Bob Hope once said, “My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?”
Pastoral Pondering
When the fourth Sunday of Advent occurs on Christmas eve, it creates a unique challenge to parish priests. Two distinct celebrations require two distinct homilies (sometimes in multiple languages), and changing from Advent to Christmas in a few hours can cause “liturgical whiplash”! At the same time, while I am happy it only happens every 11 years (the next occurrences being 2023 and 2034), it does provide us an opportunity to connect Mary’s fiat in the morning with the Birth of the Lord in the evening in a rather dramatic way.
For Catholics, the Liturgical cycle helps us to connect more intimately with the history of Salvation. Living our lives in union with the solemnities and feasts of the liturgical year helps us to have an eternal view of things rather than being trapped by attachment to earthly realities. The eight days following Christmas make up the Christmas Octave during which the Church continues its celebration of the Birth of the Messiah in a profound way. The feasts of St. Stephen, St. John the Evangelist and the Holy Innocents are celebrated on December 26 th , 27 th and 28 th respectively. The Church does this to remind us that the mysteries of Jesus’ life must always be seen together. You cannot separate the crib from the Cross.
Please know that as we celebrate this holy season, Father Becker, Father Carter, and I are praying for each of you in a very special way but especially when we approach the altar for Holy Mass. I pray that this Christmas may bring you a deeper awareness of God’s blessings in your life and give you a grateful heart with which you can impart those blessings to others.