Advent II: December 20th Gospel: Luke 1:26-38 Annunciation of the Virgin Mary
We rarely see the names of angels in the Bible. Pope St. Gregory the Great taught us that the term “angel” refers to a function, not a nature. Those divine spiritual beings in heaven, although often spiritual, are only referred to as angels when they convey certain messages. Furthermore, those who convey secondary messages are called angels, while those who proclaim the most important messages are called archangels. Therefore, the one sent to Mary was not just an angel, but the Archangel Gabriel. Only an archangel is worthy to go to earth to proclaim the greatest message.
Today, when St. Gabriel came to announce the good news to the Virgin Mary, besides praising her, he also said that the Lord was with Mary. This indicates that Mary’s mission is intertwined with the mission of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Virgin Mary is the Eve in the New Testament. The first Eve, tempted by the devil, prompted the first Adam to disobey God’s commandment and eat the fruit of the tree. Similarly, the second Eve accompanied the second Adam, our Lord Jesus Christ, who atoned for the original sin committed by the first Adam and all his descendants on the cross, thus reconciling mankind and all creatures wounded by the sins of mankind with God. He did not waste any time, announcing God’s plan of salvation to the Virgin Mary. He revealed to her a deeper mystery: the son conceived by Mary was not the child born of her union with a man, but the gift of the Holy Spirit of God. The child born of Mary was not the son of Joseph, but the Son of God. For He was not born of human desire or flesh, but by the grace of the angels. He showed her that Elizabeth, who in the eyes of the world could never conceive, would become pregnant and give birth to the son of Mary, the forerunner of the Son of God, through God’s powerful intervention.
Although Mary expressed doubts about the angel’s words, she still obeyed. With her precious consent, the Savior’s redemptive work was able to unfold in history, enabling us to become new creatures in Christ.
Today, let us imitate the Blessed Virgin Mary, who generously submits to God’s holy will, and embark on this journey of hope together with her.
Advent II: December 19th Gospel: Luke 1:5-25 Zacharias’ Annunciation
Sometimes, like the Jews of that time, we may view the infertile women we encounter in life, or any unfortunate experiences, as punishments imposed by God. We often believe that the many misfortunes we encounter in this world stem from God’s holy will, because without God’s permission, the devil could never harm us. Today, for Zechariah, it was a profoundly frightening experience when, while serving at the altar of God, an angel appeared to him and spoke to him in an unguarded moment. Sometimes, God also reveals to us all the truths about the kingdom of heaven in unguarded moments. When He reveals the truths of the kingdom of heaven to us, we, like Zechariah, also feel deeply perplexed. In this second phase of Advent, we draw ever closer to the eight-day celebration of Christmas. Let us imitate the virtues of St. Elizabeth and St. Zacharias, waiting in contemplation for the Savior’s Nativity.
If we view the situation from the perspective of an observer, an unmarried woman who becomes pregnant before marrying her betrothed is often regarded as unfaithful to her commitment, as it is commonly assumed she may have engaged in an extramarital affair or sexual relations with another man. Joseph may have thought the same at the time, but as a righteous man, he was unwilling to publicly disgrace her. According to Israelite tradition, if a woman became pregnant before marriage, her fiancéé was to stone her to death publicly. Therefore, Joseph intended to divorce Mary quietly in accordance with the Mosaic Law (cf. Deuteronomy 22:23-24), so as to preserve her honour.
St. Matthew tells us that when the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph, he not only explained that the child conceived in Mary’s womb was of the Holy Spirit but also revealed the mission of Jesus Christ: that Christ would redeem His people from their sins. Without delay and despite the pressure, Joseph took the Virgin Mary into his home, thereby setting an example for us.
May St. Joseph, who always fulfilled the holy will of God, and the Blessed Virgin Mary intercede for us, that we too may prepare our hearts and minds to welcome the Nativity of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
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