4th Sunday of Advent: “ Hail Full of grace, The Lord is with you”
On December 17th the pace of the Advent Season changed. In our liturgies, and especially with scripture readings from the letters of St Paul, we have been reflecting upon our Lord’s return in glory at the end of time. Since December 17th the focus of Advent shifts to reflect upon his first coming...his birth into humanity...born of Our Blessed Lady.
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| Words of Hail Mary in Latin on wall of Lady Chapel, Lancaster Cathedral |
Arguably, if anyone deserved to be born into privilege and even luxury it was the Son of God. But as the Son of God and the Son of Mary, right from the moment of his conception , he was involved in the twilight world of heart-break, disappointment and even the danger of death. His mother accepted the invitation from God to “enflesh” our redeemer within her own body, even though this would put her, and her husband to be, at considerable risk because they were not yet married.
The gospel at Mass today recalls that utterly pivotal scene in salvation history where God’s long anticipated Messiah would take flesh in the body and in the life of Mary of Nazareth. In the conversation between Our Lady and the angel Gabriel God’s plan of Salvation almost “held its breath” until Our Lady agreed to be the mother of Divine Salvation:
“I am the handmaid of the Lord, let what you have said be done to me. And the angel left her”.
Yet in this piece scripture from the Gospel of St Luke there is one word, just one word, spoken by Gabriel which is pivotal to the life of faith, both for Our Lady and for followers of the Christ down all the ages. That powerful word is Listen!