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The World Mary Sees.

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Gospel: Luke 1: 46-56

Mary said:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
for he has looked upon his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.”

Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months
and then returned to her home.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Today’s Gospel passage contains the longest litany of words ever spoken by a woman in the New Testament – a song of praise from Mary.

She has just entered the home of her cousin, Elizabeth. Suddenly, John the Baptist leaps in Elizabeth’s womb, causing her to praise and question Mary, “How does this happen to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”

Mary then erupts in song. “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord! My spirit rejoices in God my Savior!” 

Mysteriously, she transitions into the past tense. God “has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things and the rich he has sent away empty.”

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Why does Mary speak of things that God has already done? 

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For a moment, she peers into the future, seeing the universal revolution that Christ will bring. Some say there are three revolutions, in particular – moral, social, and spiritual.

First, Christianity ushers in the death of pride. Only the humble can encounter God because God himself is humble, so humble that he becomes a child, now growing inside Mary’s womb. So humble that he will eventually die like a criminal on a cross.

Second, there’s a social revolution imbedded within Christian doctrine. In baptism, we see all persons as equal, no longer defining ourselves by caste or class. Together, we are children of God and the body of Christ on earth. 

Third, Christ brings a spiritual revolution whereby we no longer worship the god of politics or seek to praise the kings of this world. Christ is our King. 

Thus, our hearts detach themselves from worldly possessions, power, and praise, seeking only the things that are above.

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May Mary’s song of praise echo in our hearts this Christmas. Christ has come to cast down the mighty from their thrones, to lift up the lowly, and to fill us with good things.

Namely, faith, hope, and love.

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Image credits: (1) Catholic Central (2) Benedictine Sisters of Florida (3) Fra Angelico

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Heartbreak… Surprise… Surrender… Christmas according to Saint Joseph.

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Gospel: Matthew 1: 18-24

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel, 
which means “God is with us.”
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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On my desk where I pray, I keep a small figurine of Saint Joseph. He’s asleep on his side in a green, homespun robe, half covered in a blanket – fading red on one side and mustard yellow on the other. His dark brown hair and full beard speak of an older, mature man. 

Of course, his eyes are tightly shut, as he slips into a dream.

Sometimes, I wonder, is Joseph just dozing off, unaware that his life is about to take another unexpected turn? Is he in the middle of that dream, when the angel appears and miraculously consoles him? 

Or is he processing what just happened with his eyes closed, resting, stealing a few more precious hours of sleep before sunrise, knowing that when he wakes, Mary and this mystery child are moving in?

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If Joseph writes this dream off as just that – a dream, an imaginary tale, a fictional slip from reality – and he makes his way down to the courthouse to file his divorce papers, then this whole story is over. 

Mary will be an outcast, reduced to a life of begging or stealing. Her child will be forever seen as illegitimate. And Isaiah’s ancient prophecy of a king coming from David’s line will go unfulfilled. 

According to Matthew, Joseph’s consent is as important as Mary’s. God needs Mary’s womb in order to become Man, but he needs Joseph to give him a name and a home.

Thus, the Christmas story is not just about God becoming flesh or Mary’s fiat, but it’s also about Joseph, a just man accepting what is unjust, naming, owning, and blessing a divine mess. 

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The night the angel appeared to him in a dream, Joseph was in real pain. Mysteriously, God allowed it. Even worse, it seems God wove this detail into his divine plan, knowing the risk, shock, and steps Joseph would have to take in order to bring Christ safely into this world. 

Joseph would have to journey from being an unsuspecting participant in salvation history to an active one. He would have to embrace the very thing he feared – scandal.

So much for karma.

Poor Joseph.

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His heartache and doubt ran so deep that he, too, needed divine intervention in order to accept God’s plan. As he goes to sleep that providential night, Joseph does so experiencing what other Saints have called, “a dark night of the soul.”

The belief or feeling that God has abandoned you.

So, the angel appears to Joseph in a dream, while he is defenseless. When sleeping, we cannot fight back, yell, question, or argue with God. We can only listen and receive.

Fortunately, Joseph awakens as a different man with his plans to divorce Mary foiled by grace. But his “yes” also speaks volumes about his faith, his character, and his conviction.

Even when he felt freshly betrayed – not only by his bride, but also by God – Joseph was willing to change directions and pivot into the unknown.

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No wonder the angel’s first words to Joseph were, “do not be afraid.” Similar words appear in the Bible more than 300 times, making them, perhaps, the most common words God uses when speaking to humanity.

“Do not be afraid.”

Do not be afraid when God’s plans for your life look entirely different than yours. Do not be afraid when you don’t understand certain life events, when others don’t understand, or when the only foundation you have to stand upon is an angel consoling you in a dream.

Do not be afraid to accept unwanted people into your life, to love someone, even your child, who enters this world unexpectedly, or who turns out to be different than you had hoped or imagined.

Do not be afraid to risk your reputation, to be changed by grace, to open your heart and home to people who challenge you, or to let others take center stage.

Do not be afraid to surrender to mystery, to accept what appears to be scandal, or to challenge your understanding of God. 

Do not divorce yourself from the mess. Embrace it.

That may be the very place where God is found.

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Joseph’s story of heartbreak, surprise, surrender, and triumphant faith is also our story… Like him, we seek to live upright lives, we desire to do God’s will. But we can also struggle to understand. As God says through the prophet Isaiah, “My ways are not your ways.”

This Christmas may God grant us the grace to embrace the unknown, to pivot into mystery, to welcome the Christ-child – and his plans – into our lives.

Saint Joseph, pray for us.

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Image credits: (1) The Dream of Saint Joseph, Philippe de Campaigne (2) Fontanini Sleeping Saint Joseph (3) Saint Joseph and the Christ Child, Guido Reni

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Where God answers prayers.

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Gospel: Luke 1: 5-25

In the days of Herod, King of Judea,
there was a priest named Zechariah
of the priestly division of Abijah;
his wife was from the daughters of Aaron,
and her name was Elizabeth.
Both were righteous in the eyes of God,
observing all the commandments
and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly.
But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren
and both were advanced in years.

Once when he was serving as priest
in his division’s turn before God,
according to the practice of the priestly service,
he was chosen by lot
to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense.
Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside
at the hour of the incense offering,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him,
standing at the right of the altar of incense.
Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him.

But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah,
because your prayer has been heard.
Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,
and you shall name him John.
And you will have joy and gladness,
and many will rejoice at his birth,
for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.
He will drink neither wine nor strong drink.
He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb,
and he will turn many of the children of Israel
to the Lord their God.
He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah
to turn the hearts of fathers toward children
and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous,
to prepare a people fit for the Lord.”

Then Zechariah said to the angel,
“How shall I know this?
For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.”
And the angel said to him in reply,
“I am Gabriel, who stand before God.
I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news.
But now you will be speechless and unable to talk
until the day these things take place,
because you did not believe my words,
which will be fulfilled at their proper time.”
Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah
and were amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary.
But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them,
and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary.
He was gesturing to them but remained mute.

Then, when his days of ministry were completed, he went home.

After this time his wife Elizabeth conceived,
and she went into seclusion for five months, saying,
“So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit
to take away my disgrace before others.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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At the time when this Gospel passage occurred, there were about 20,000 priests in Israel. Often, this honor came by birthright; any male who was a descendant of Aaron was automatically a priest. Such was the case for Zechariah.

Because of the sheer number of priests, most never had the opportunity to enter the Holy of Holies, the innermost room of the Temple where God’s presence dwelt. There sacrifices were made on behalf of the entire nation of Israel.

Providentially, the lot fell on Zechariah. His time had come, but it was a bittersweet moment. 

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Though a priest, Zechariah harbored angst and grief in his heart. He and his wife, Elizabeth, were childless. At that time, being barren was seen as a curse, or a punishment by God. It was even grounds for divorce.

What had either Zechariah or Elizabeth done to merit such punishment? Both were devout servants of the Lord…

Thus, when Zechariah entered the Holy of Holies, he was not only praying for his nation; but he was also praying for a son. Suddenly, the archangel Gabriel appeared telling him that his prayer had been heard! 

Unlike Mary, who will welcome the news of bearing a son in faith, Zechariah doubts Gabriel’s promise, so the angel strikes him mute.

Scholars say this was an act of mercy to prevent Zechariah from speaking blasphemously, doubting God’s power while standing in his presence. Zechariah will not be able to speak again until God’s promise is fulfilled, and his son, John, is born.

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What might Zechariah’s story say to us today?

Never underestimate the power of God. 

And notice where God reveals his power… in the Temple. 

Like Zechariah, sometimes we must make a pilgrimage to God’s house, standing before his altar if we want our prayers to be heard. Where might we find ourselves this week?

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Image credits: (1) Patheos (2) Zechariah in the Temple, Jan Lievens (3) More Incense, Less Nonsense, WordPress.com