Advent Child: Not your average Final Fantasy (Week 4)

Veni clavis Davidica; Regna reclude caelica; Fac iter tutum superum, Et claude vias inferum.

Gaude, gaude! Emmanuel nascetur pro te, Israel. Fourth Sunday of Advent, 18 December 2005

We have now entered the fourth week of Advent. In today’s Gospel reading, we hear the story of the Annunciation. The angel Gabriel comes to Mary to declare that she will be the mother of Our Lord.

Luke 1:32-33

“Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

If Mary was given such an important role as the Mother of God, it is clear that she is definitely part of God’s plan to save us. Mary is no longer a mere character in the Bible, but an integral part of Christianity. How long more shall Christians everywhere continue to ignore the role she played? How long can we continue to ignore her, when she is the perfect model of Christians everywhere?

Luke 1:38

Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”

In praying these words, she conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Mary willingly accepted God’s will to be His instrument in our salvation. She did not understand much, but she had faith in God and followed anyway. She pondered all these things in her heart, and followed His will. We must imitate her example, in order to reach perfection in Christ.

If we were to read the Gospel further, we would go on to the Magnificat:

Luke 1:46-48

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in God my saviour.

For he has looked upon his handmaid's lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.

Mary was just a lowly human being like us, but she allowed herself to be part of God’s plan. We should surrender our wills to God like she did, and do whatever he wants of us. Furthermore, scripture demands that we must call her blessed. She placed herself as the lowly, but God raised her up. If God allowed this, so must we. Let us not be afraid to honour her as the perfect vessel of the Christ.

Oh, come, Thou Key of David, come And open wide our heavenly home: Make safe the way that leads on high And close the path to misery. Rejoice! Rejoice! O Israel, to thee shall come Emmanuel!