Mary’s response – faith seeking understanding

Homily for Advent – 4^th Sunday Year B 2014-2015

2 Samuel 7:1-5,8-11,16; Romans 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38

Introduction

How should you respond to incredible news, to information that goes counter to everything you know, perhaps information that turns your world upside down?

This is the situation that Mary faces when the angel Gabriel appears to her telling her, that she, a virgin, is going to bear a son.

During my six years of teaching at the Seminary, I have realized that whenever I say something that the students have never heard before or that is counter-intuitive, I can expect one of three responses.

·        First, there is the student who will shrug his shoulders and ignore the new information, saying to himself: “I don’t believe you and I really don’t care.”

·        Second, there is the smart alec, who will push back and will to trip me up with questions to prove me wrong.

·        The third kind of student, my favourite, is on the one hand disturbed by the new information, but is also intrigued by it and wants to know more.  And so often he will ask questions, not to prove me wrong, but wanting me to clarify a little more about what I just said.

And so perhaps those among us who are teachers will recognize these three students:  the indifferent one, combative one and the one seeking to learn more.

Which of these three responses does Mary give on receiving the incredible proposition from the angel Gabriel?

Scripture and Theology

Place yourself for a moment in Mary’s shoes!  You’re a young virgin, about 15-16 years old.  You are already engaged to marry Joseph.  The wedding date has been set a year in advance as required by your parish and you have already booked the church and the priest.  Your mother is already running crazy with the wedding plans.  Although he is a little older and he is not that rich, you are not picky.  You are looking forward to life with Joseph, who is really a good man and will put food on the table.  You look forward to having perhaps six children; three boys to help their dad in the carpentry workshop, and three girls to help with domestic work.  All your childhood dreams seem to be going smoothly!

Then an angel comes to you with this shocking news!

Hail Mary, full of grace!  The Lord is with you!  You have found favour with God and you are going to be the Mother of his Son.

This news is rather disturbing, because if you accept the proposition, then you will have to abandon all your well-laid out plans.  Besides, the news itself is rather implausible, since you know where babies come from.  And so, if you can imagine being in Mary’s shoes, now consider her response.

·        Mary’s response is not like that of the indifferent student.  Nor is it like that of the combative student.  Combativeness is the response of Zechariah the father of John the Baptist.  When the same angel Gabriel told him that his elderly wife was going to give birth to a son, he pushed back asking: “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years” (Lk. 1:18).  And you might want to remember this for yourself, apparently angels don’t like being challenged and they especially don’t like having the message they carry doubted, like Zechariah did.  We know what happened to Zechariah – he was struck dumb and could not speak until the birth of his son, John.

Mary’s response is rather that of the third kind of student, the one who is intrigued by the new information and wants to learn more.  And so she asks the angel to clarify: "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And when the angel has given her more information, explaining to her that she will bear a son by the power of the Holy Spirit and giving her the example of Elizabeth who has conceived a son in her old age, Mary not only believes the angel, but now also understands.  In those famous words, Mary says to the angel:  "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.  May it be done to me according to your word."  Her question, asked in trust and confidence, has allowed her to give herself totally to the Lord.

Christian Life

This gospel passage is given to us during the Advent season, because just like John the Baptist, Mary plays an important role in the coming of the Messiah.  She actively works with God in bringing the Saviour into this world.  Unlike David who wants to build for God a house of brick and mortar, Mary provides her body to be that house, that channel through which God comes into this world.  And she does this with filled with the kind of faith that wants to know more.

You and I are presented with incredible propositions in our Christian lives.  Just think of some of the teachings of our Catholic faith, which often run counter to our experience and our knowledge.

·        We have doctrines that seem to go against reason, such as Jesus being both true God and true man, such as God being one in three persons, such as a virgin giving birth to a child.

·        We have commandments that seem to go against our natural inclinations, such as the teachings on monogamous marriage, the protection of life from the womb to the tomb, the constant call to care for the poor and needy.

How do we respond when God asks of us what seems impossible or too much?

We cannot simply ignore God’s teaching and say to him, “I don’t believe and I don’t care to understand.”  Nor can we fight God’s Word, as some try to do by actively promoting activities, lifestyles and teachings contrary to God’s Word. Rather, like Mary faced head on the incredible news given to her, we also must engage these teachings by seeking to understand better by asking the Lord: “How can this be?”

God doesn’t seem to mind our questions, as long as our questions are based in trust rather than in doubt.

·        We can ask God these questions in our personal prayer and meditation.  Sometimes we think that the prayer life of saints was very tranquil and calm.  Many actually had a rather active prayer life in which they asked God some tough questions.  Mother Theresa for example, as she took care of the poor and needy, spoke to God wondering loudly, why there was suffering in the world.

·        We can ask also God our questions by studying our faith.  Surely the extent of our learning cannot be just the readings and the ten minute homily we hear at Sunday Mass.  We have to read the Catechism, the Bible, the Pope’s teaching, read in his own words, not via CNN or Fox News, and many other resources such as our deacons, priests and bishops: “How can this be?”

Conclusion

And so, it is not enough that we believe God’s word; we have to understand it.  And when we don’t understand, like Mary we can ask for some more explanation, especially since we have only a poor human intellect.  As one wise teacher said, there is no such thing as a stupid question or in our case an irreverent question.  Like Mary, may we show our love for God and know our mission in life by engaging his Word seriously, even by asking the question: “How can this be?”