| Parish of St. Edward the Confessor Daily Advent/Christmas Reflections |
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December
12, 2007
By Fran
Rossi Szpylczyn
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| Reading 1 |
| Psalm |
| Gospel |
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Text
of Reflection: Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe Reading 1Zechariah 2:14-17 or Revelations 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab Responsorial Psalm Judith 13:18bcde, 19 Gospel Luke 1:26-38 or Luke 1:39-47 Here we are in
the midst of our Advent season of
watching, our Advent season of waiting. Today’s readings invite us
further
along into the journey, with the backdrop of Our Lady of Guadalupe to
go with
today’s Scriptures. I think this is important as it illustrates that
our faith
is alive and evolutionary, springing forth from Scripture and yet
continuing to
be made manifest.
We also have multiple readings for today. Our first reading can be from Zechariah or from Revelations. They both speak to notion of what is coming, what is waiting to be born and brought forth. That God is coming to dwell among us. In Zechariah we are told, Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion! See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD. The context of this is important. At the time it was written the longing for the Lord, for redemption was so powerful. To be told to sing and rejoice; that God was coming to live among them was as shocking to them as Gabriel’s annunciation to Mary. In Revelations we read that, A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth. This too speaks of what is to be born, that God is coming to be among us. I think this is especially moving in light of Guadalupe. Despite almost a generation’s worth of effort, the Spanish had converted relatively few people. Yet, when Our Lady appears to Juan Diego, as one of their own, millions turn to God. It is always so moving to consider how God comes to us, becomes like us. This completely upends the notion that God is above and that we have to do a million crazy things to please Him and get to Him. He is with us here, now and always. There are two Gospels, but I tend to think of today’s words from Luke as one message for us. The message is the importance of the Yes. In the Annunciation story, I always think of Mary being as somewhat afraid, but that her fear is the lever for her faith. It is important to not only stamp out fear, but to use it to get to our destination, which is God. God does not exist just to eliminate our fear, but rather to show us a new way in which fear is replaced by faith. We must be willing to walk in faith, with some ambiguity at first, saying yes. Even if that means with fear. If we wait to get rid of fear and then go to faith, we might not ever get there. I think of the slow dawn of the day; the darkness slowly dissipates and becomes light. That is our faith journey every day. In the end it becomes this; Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” We are also told of the Visitation. Again, Mary responds and just goes to her cousin Elizabeth. This was no short journey either. Yet off she went. Upon arrival, Elizabeth responds along with the leaping in her own womb and knows that this is the work of God. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. We are asked to walk in faith, despite our fear, trusting that the new day will dawn. As we encounter God in various forms and through His many messengers, we are shown the way if we say yes. In order to do this, we must be watching, we must be waiting; we must be people of Advent.
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