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Greetings, SBT Readers:
Caught between Advent and Christmas, I offer two reflections this week, hoping they will spark reflections of your own. May the Peace of Christ shine in our troubled world, and may the Holy Child's guiding star illumine the Way for you and your loved ones.
Advent Blessings/ Christmas Joy!
Elizabeth
ADVENT REFLECTION
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Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word."
Then the angel departed from her. Lk 1:26-38
When faced with important decisions, many of us turn to the following strategies: creating a "pros" and "cons" list in terms of possible actions; taking "time out" to reflect on how we feel about the various options; seeking advice from a friend or mentor; entering a process of discernment with a spiritual director or life coach; asking ourselves what would be the most life-giving or the most death-dealing; and exploring what the world needs of us now, right at this very moment... This, however, is not what happens at the Annunciation: not only does Mary lack any opportunity for reflection or for soliciting advice, but Gabriel's announcement is a fait accompli -- a "done deal," so to speak. Rather than request her input, the angel informs Mary what is about to happen; all the verbs in his message are future tense, not conditional-- she will conceive and bear a son and she shall name him Jesus... Mary's response, then, is not so much a "Yes!" as an "Amen" -- a "So be it."
Perhaps I am being pedantic here or perhaps it is my fascination with words that drives my thinking. On the one hand, "Yes!" would suggest that Mary has had the opportunity to consider all that is being asked of her, to weigh those "pros" and "cons" to see if she feels up to the task; "Amen," in contrast, implies that without having time to consider anything, she acquiesces to God's will, abandoning all outcomes to her Creator. Viewed this way, "Amen" is stronger than "Yes!" and reflects complete trust, love, humility, and obedience.
"What happens to free will?" we might ask. "Could Mary say 'No!'?"
Probing deeper, we might also ask whether "Yes!" is merely a response of the moment or whether it is somehow embedded in the core of who we are and of who Mary is. God chooses Mary of Nazareth precisely because she has lived that "Yes!" from the moment of her conception. Even before Gabriel greets her or before she hears his message, Mary has already given her response. Her heart's desire has always been to live in God's will; saying "No!" is therefore not an option. Turning the mirror towards ourselves, what response drives us? Do we live from the vantage point of "Yes!" or is "No!" the operative word? How can we move from seeking our own will to saying "Amen" to all that God asks of us? And if we dare to utter that "Amen," what miracles might happen this Christmas and throughout the new year?
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CHRISTMAS REFLECTION
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The angel said to them,
“Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David, a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” Lk 2:1-14
The central message of Christmas is quite simple: namely, God so loved the world that God took on human flesh and became one of us, immersing the Divine Self in the human condition. This message is so incredible, so overwhelming, that it defies comprehension. Together, the prophetic texts and infancy narratives provide a window into the mystery of the Incarnation but unless we pause to reflect on the words and images, we only see darkly. Distracted by layers of secular traditions and preoccupied with "the Christmas rush," we tend to gloss over the familiar texts, impatient to move on to the next activity demanding our attention. Despite the best of intentions, we hear without listening and read without absorbing-- unless, of course, we are jolted out of our comfort zones.
Perhaps this is why St. Francis of Assisi first created a tableau of live animals to bring home the message of Christmas. Set in the village of Greccio, this tableau was not an elaborate scene representing the Holy Family, rustic characters, and noble Kings. Rather, in his The Life of St. Francis, St. Bonaventure tells us that to "arouse devotion," and with the Pope's permission, "He had a crib prepared, hay carried in and an ox and ass led to the place." There, friars and people gathered to illumine the night with their lanterns, singing hymns to honor the birth of the Poor King, the Child of Bethlehem. One of the friars celebrated mass and Francis proclaimed the Gospel and preached, "bathed in tears and overflowing with joy." According to Bonaventure, the forest resounded with their "resonant and harmonious hymns"; he also records the vision of a trustworthy knight who beheld a beautiful babe asleep in the crib. This knight, Sir John of Greccio, testified that the Child awakened when Francis embraced him tightly and subsequent miracles seemed to confirm what he saw. Whether one believes this legend or not, what cannot be disputed is the effectiveness of Francis' tableau in awakening the "hearts of those who are sluggish in the faith of Christ."
And what will we see this Christmas? Will we be blinded by the glitter and tinsel, by the trappings of a secularized Christmas? Will our vision be obscured by material hopes and desires, or by petty annoyances, moments of nostalgia, or the exhaustion of entertaining and being entertained? Or will we pause long enough to catch a glimpse of the radiance beheld by the C13th inhabitants of Greccio? Better still, will we, like the shepherds, hear angelic songs and hasten to Bethlehem? Will we, like them, see the heavens part, revealing the Star of Jacob lying in the glory of straw? Then, shaken out of sluggishness, we, too, will fall to our knees, overcome with wonder and joy....
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