Gospel
24
December 2017
Fourth
Sunday of Advent Luke 1:26-38
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in
Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of
the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said,
“Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by
his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to
her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you
will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will
be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will
give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of
Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit
will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you;
therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And
now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this
is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be
impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let
it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
Mary is the perfect example of how one bears Christ to the
world. The last word of Advent is the
story of how even in her pregnancy Mary is the instrument through which the
coming Christ is made known to the world.
Throughout her life and beyond, Mary always points others away from
herself and to Christ. As we finish
Advent, this is a powerful witness for us.
As we prepare to greet Christ at his coming again, we are called to
point the world away from us and towards Christ, whose coming is certain, and
whose day is always drawing closer.
Father Timothy+
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