Verbum Dei UK

MEDITATION:

This will be the last Sunday of Advent. It tells of God choosing Mary to be his dwelling.��

She was poor and humble, from an unimportant village called Nazareth, and she didn't have any luxurious hospital in which to give birth! But that simple manger of Nazareth is what God wanted. Today, he wants to be born in us. King David thought that it would be necessary to build a luxurious home for the Ark (the ark of the covenant symbolized the presence of God for them). He felt ashamed of his fine palace while the Ark was in a store-room. But he received the answer that God wants to form a special house! That will be for the incarnation of Christ. The marvel is that God chooses a simple girl like Mary. The marvel today is that He chooses us! He yearns to see us end up being like her, so that Christ be born in us. Then Christmas can really come. ��

If the king of Spain were to call at your door, you’d be shocked, but you’d surely invite him to enter and to take a coffee or something! But look at the way the King of Heaven and earth goes for the back door, like a beggar. He doesn’t want to impose! Will we invite him to enter? "Look, I am at the door calling. If somebody hears and opens the door, I will enter in their house and have dinner with him, and him with me... " (Apoc 3:20).��

If anyone thinks that they’re not able to do a lot, it’s good to remember that Mary didn't organize the salvation of the world. She simply said "yes" to the plan of God. But she maintained it in the good times and the bad. Will we do it that way? Will we at least seek how to do so? Mary asks "How could that be?" (Lk 1:34). The answer about the Holy Spirit is hardly� easy to understand but anyway God loves somebody that looks for answers. The plans may seem ambitious, but "nothing is impossible for God" (Lk 1:37).��

But if Mary is 'the chosen one', then are we not chosen? The answer is "not in the same way", but the favor given to Mary is a fore-runner of the favor offered to us all. She revealed the tremendous role in which we all can participate. She is one of us!

With regard to the first reading, David had already received many favors from God. He had been a youth shepherding, but God steps in! “I have accompanied you wherever you went." (2^nd Sam 7:9). Do we appreciate that about our own lives? We have not appeared by chance in the world. God has brought us up to where we are now, and we give thanks for that (Eucharist), but He wants to bring us on much more… even if in a wheelchair!�

The best way of thanking God is to say "yes" like Mary, to the plans that He has now.� If we find them ambitious that’s a good sign that they are of God, and like St Paul says today: "God gives us the strength in Christ." (Rom 16:25 ). God will give that strength and it springs from a good "yes!".

Mary said yes and Jesus got born and one day you and I got born too, but getting born to Eternal Life is a process that’s still going on. We’ll recall with joy the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem and we’ll say “yes” to the call to all get born to life with Christ!

Dara

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