A life project

Fourth Sunday of Advent, Cycle B

2 Sam 7:1-16; Rm 16:25-27; Lk 1:26-38.

Not a ribbon-cutting God!

When I was still discerning my vocation - and what to do with my life - a couple of years back, a wise old priest once told me, "Very often we have a habit of starting a project and then asking God to come and cut the ribbon for us. Rather, our entire life must be God's dream for us." I think that in today's readings we have two contrasting stories which can help us make the last step that is required of us this Advent in preparation for Christmas.

David the project manager

On the one hand, we have King David, the strong successful leader. The Kingdom is finally united, he is no longer at war with his enemies and almost as an afterthought, he says, "What is missing so that I can really crown my life?" He wants just one other project in his life so that he may be fulfilled. "I know what I shall do," He says, "I shall build a huge, magnificent temple for my Lord." But God speaks to David through his Prophet Nathan. I imagine him smiling at him, and almost laughing, as God says, "You will build no house for me but it is I who will build one for you. And not a house, but an entire household, actually I will build a kingdom for you!"

God's promise is finally fulfilled

In the Gospel, we see how this actually happens. What God promised David finally happens about 1000 years later! What is the house, the dwelling place that God chooses?

• God chooses not a huge magnificent temple, like the one that David wanted to build, but the humble womb of a young woman named Maryam.

• God wanted to build his home not in a temple made of precious stones and far from his people, but wanted to dwell right here among his own people.

• God wanted not to have a house built for himself, but to build a Kingdom, not a kingdom of this world but as the angel Gabriel told Mary, a kingdom for which there will be no end.

• God wanted to show his presence among us not in a temple made by human hands but through the "Yes" of a the Virgin Mary.

Doing projects for God

So many times we catch ourselves doing exactly what King David did: we think that we are going to do something special for God, with our life or with anything that we do. Sometimes we say, I will do this or that, I will become a missionary, I will give so much of my money to the poor, I will start to live in this particular way or other. However we forget that God cannot be captured in anything that we do outside of ourselves because to do so would be to limit God, to place him in a box.

Not giving a gift, but rather being a gift!

Recently I watched the film, A Christmas Story. The tagline is, "'t is better to give than to receive." I would say that this Christmas we must even go a bit further than this: " 't is even better to be than simply to give." We have perfect example in Mary in today's Gospel.

The servant of the Lord

Mary does not build any big projects for God. Neither does she simply give her something that is hers, no matter how dear it is to her. She gives him her whole self, her entire being. She says, "I am the Servant of the Lord." This does not imply passivity or resignation, rather it implies courage and determination to make God's project her own project. Neither does it imply the servility of a slave but it implies greatness akin to that of Abraham (Gen, 26:24), Moses (Num 12:7) and David (Ezek 37:24) and many others who were called servants of the Lord.

The fourth advent candle

Today have lit the fourth candle on the Advent wreath. Recall how we have started off with just one small flame which gave very little light or heat and which could very easily be put out. Now we have four candle flames. This is the light that Jesus brings into our life, the warmth and hope that he brings, and which can never be extinguished. And this was only possible because Mary said yes to the angel Gabriel. She had the courage to embrace God's will despite the doubts and fears that might have entered her heart.

Light

In the Russian Orthodox Church there is the tradition of fasting on the Christmas vigil until the first star appears. This star obviously reminds us of the star that led the Magi but also of Jesus who is the true light.

Our "Yes"

With our "yes", we too can bring hope into the world. We too can keep the flame of hope burning especially in places where darkness is keeping others frightened, lost and discouraged. It is not just a question of holding a lit candle, but of becoming ourselves candles for the Lord, becoming aflame for the Lord. This requires of us complete availability to the Lord. This is what can give meaning to this Christmas, not one that comes and goes, but one which marks us for the rest of our life. Like the thick concentric circles on the bark of a tree which indicate a good season the tree would have passed through.

God enters our life despite our unpreparedness...

Jesus can enter our life even despite our unpreparedness, even if we dd not keep any of our Advent resolutions, and we were over taken by so many other things, perhaps even without our wanting, Jesus can still enter our heart, enter our life because "Nothing is impossible for God."

...but not without us

But just as God "asked Mary permission" to come into the world through her, so God asks our permission to come into our hearts. God cannot come into the world is he does not come first into our hearts, for it is only through us that God can come into the world.