To watch Father Joe’s homily for the Fourth Sunday of Advent: CLICK HERE!
This Fourth Week of Advent is surprising short this year. It starts today and ends today! After all it is already Christmas Eve.
And hopefully this will not distract us from hearing, from listening to just one idea, one message that we might glean from today’s Readings.
As we hear in the Gospel, Mary is the perfect model of receptivity, to openness to God’s will.
Maybe you saw the video playing in the Gathering Area before Mass (or can see it after Mass). In the video, done by Southland Christian Church, children tell their version of the story about the birth of Christ. Of Mary they say, “She was doing laundry” and the angel came to her. The children then say of Mary, “She said ‘no way, I am too young, I am a teenager.’” (To check out the adorable video: CLICK HERE!)
Yet as we know, Mary did listen to the angel, Gabriel, and the rest is salvation history, as they say.
Mary listened with her heart, listened with a heart of faith. Mary’s YES changed her life, the life of all generations and ours for the better, not just for a time, but for eternity.
You know God comes to us, speaks to us, in so many ways. Think about it, only God could dream up a plan to save the world by starting with young Mary of Nazareth.
Just maybe the message we are invited to ponder today is that the Creator of the Universe wants to be with US. Our Gospel writer wants us to listen for God’s word that is directed to each of us and all of us.
A message Heaven is hoping we will respond to – know that with God, with the Holy Spirit active in our lives, nothing is impossible!