How many times have you heard the story of Mary’s encounter with the angel Gabriel?  It is one of those stories we have heard so many times we can easily recite the angles words and her reply.  But as we retell the story are the words coming from our memory without any feelings of wonder and awe.  These readings today, as are all readings during Advent, should be preparing us for a growing desire for a personal encounter with Christ.  At a minimum, our response needs to be more than acknowledging His birth and His divinity.

We are invited to go deeper and invite Christ to be born in our hearts which demands more than just acknowledging Christ is Lord.  We should be like the shepherds, who abandoned the sheep just to have a glimpse of the Mesiah. What obligations do we have to abandon so we can encounter Christ? It is a journey we should begin to be like the wise men who acted on a desire to give homage to the King of Kings.

Our problem is we are too familiar whit the story. So much so that it is known but we connect it with Mary, without realizing it is an experience God desires us to experience.  Let me give you an analogy of what I mean.  As a teen, I worked as an usher in a movie theater.  With block buster movies playing for weeks, it was easy for me to recite any of the lines within the movie.  But unlike the actors, whose job it was to enter the character and display emotion, I did not have to do any more than recite the lines. Reciting the lines never changed me nor did they make me desire to experience what those actors experienced.  

Yet one of the promises of God beyond our redemption was to change our hearts.  Mary’s heart was obviously centered on Christ. So much so that when Gabriel told her she would conceive and bear a son, her response was not one of unbelief but one of a willingness to comply and trust. But she did seek understanding and that was more than her humanity seeking understanding.  It is her seeking confirmation that this impossible thing would give her more than a son, it would give her the ability to endure all that an unwed pregnancy would involve. 

That is my brothers and sisters’ is a lesson we must never ignore.  We too are to be destined to reveal Christ to an unbelieving world. Like Mary will have to embrace the ridicule, the rejection and isolation by becoming Christ bearers.  All too often we are silent about our belief in Christ.  We do not speak up when challenged by others because we want to belong, to be included and not mocked.  Mary embraced the risk of being stoned because she was pregnant.  She risked being rejected by Joseph and everyone in her village. Would we risk as much and acknowledge Christ as Lord and Savior. 

There is a challenge to being a Christian in today’s world but here in our church we are among other believers. We are safe, as we practice our faith, but our faith is to be lived outside these church walls. We are called to be witnesses, disciples who are wiling to go out and proclaim the gospel that the Kingdom of God is among us.

Who do you think was the better witness to God’s plan for our salvation – Mary or Paul?  Mary who was a perfect example of faithfulness, untainted by sin or Paul who vehemently denied Christ was the Messiah.  Mary who submitted to God’s plan even when it did not make sense.  Paul, who sought to destroy all who believed in Christ.  Both were great witnesses. Mary willingly submitted to God’s plan could be because she was prepared from birth for her role in salvation history.  But God says each of us has been created for a purpose and are gifted to fulfill that purpose.  Thus, Paul’s role in salvation history was his destiny. But it took an encounter with Christ to change hm from Saul to Paul.   

What about us?  This is our last Advent mass before Christmas.  Instead of preparing to ooh and aah abut the baby Jesus, consider asking Jesus to challenge your faith, just as Mary and every disciple was challenged by Jesus.  Pray for a challenge to your faith, one that makes you put your faith on the line and expose you to ridicule. Seek to discover what God has planned for you and has gifted you to achieve for the Kingdom of God.

Who do you say Christ is a serious question. It is not who you were taught Christ was, but who is He to you.  What about going out two by two and proclaiming the good news. Is he the baby in the manger or is He your Lord whom you invite into your heart.

The gospel story is more than a story it is a sign of God’s desire for us to become who God intended us to be – intimae creations made in His image.  Advent is preparing us to embrace who Christ was but also who we were created to become. 

Have a blessed Christmas and please read one of my many Christmas homilies in the archives of this blog.  Blessings, and may you give God your heart this Christmas.  Deacon Dave