by Father Anthony F. Raso

THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, and for that matter, throughout the past 2000 years, there has been a great love and fascination for that girl in the Gospel today. Mary was at that point about 12 or 13 years old and no doubt had the appearance of a girl in the eighth grade or so. If she were standing in a group of her girlfriends in Nazareth, we’d probably have a difficult time picking out which one she was. By all appearances, there was probably nothing particularly extraordinary about her. However, appearances can fool you.

Sometimes, only God can see what is really there. As Nathan the prophet is telling David in our first reading today, once upon a time he was just, by all appearances, a shepherd boy much like any other shepherd boy of his time. God, however, saw something deeper and more wonderful in him and much to the surprise of everyone, his family included, God chose David to be His king and, it turned out, much more than that. And what was true of David was even more profoundly true of that girl who met Gabriel that day in Nazareth.

Our love for her is so great because we have long agreed with God: She was as special as could be. Her whole life, incident by incident, would prove that, and we love her for it. However, as is abundantly clear in the Gospel today, she herself didn’t necessarily believe there was anything special about her at all. She is decidedly reluctant to say “yes” even to God Himself. She seems ready, in fact, to say “no” and she has her reasons to boot! That, however, is the very reason that she is, and will always be, so fascinating to us.

I remember the evening in the Seminary when I was formally accepted to be a deacon. I was not a bit shy about expressing how happy I was. If I remember correctly, I actually tried to click my heels like Gene Kelly (and I almost broke a leg). I was very happy that I had been chosen. I said “yes” immediately and loudly. I was, in short, a whole lot more like David in today’s first reading than like Mary in the Gospel.

David wants to build a Temple to the Lord. That sounds like a good idea. However, it would always be known by visitors to Jerusalem as “David’s Temple,” a fact that, as Nathan notices, is not lost on David. Having settled in his palace, having arrived at the point where his enemies were defeated on all sides, David has decided that it’s time to click his heels like the yet-unborn Mr. Kelly. It is hardly a sinful thought, just as my own delight at being chosen for the diaconate was less than sinful. How utterly different David and I were from that girl in Nazareth!

Mary is troubled, confused and not shy about telling the archangel that she’s had “…no relations with a man.” In other words, “Gabriel, how in the world will I explain such a thing to Joseph? And let’s not even think about the golden moment when I try to explain this to my parents! So, Gabriel, no offense or anything but…”

Gabriel, however, anticipates Marlon Brando by making her an offer that she can’t refuse: “It is the Holy Spirit Who is ready to overshadow you, Mary. Your Father in Heaven wants this to happen. The world is desperate for a Savior. It may seem impossible to you, but nothing is impossible with God. (By the way, Mary, did I mention anything to you about Elizabeth?)”

How does Mary respond? Does she say, “Yes! I get it now! OK! Here I come!”? Nope. What she says is, “Well, I’m the handmaid of the Lord, so I’ll do it. I don’t understand it. I think I’ll be visiting Elizabeth soon, just to put the icing on the cake. But, OK. God wants this? OK. Tell God ‘yes.’ I’m His girl.”

It is obvious that Joachim and Anne have been really good parents. Joseph was going to be one very lucky fella. Jesus was going to have a wonderful mother. And so do we. You have to hand it to God: He can really pick them, especially this time.

Mary understood, as St. Paul would tell the Romans years later, that this was the Good News from heaven, made known to all nations because of the obedience of faith of one girl. She said “yes” — not without hesitation, doubt, and plenty of yet-unanswered questions. She said “yes” anyway, and with that “yes” our salvation was conceived in her womb to be born on a holy night in a stable in Bethlehem.[hr] Readings for the Fourth Sunday of Advent:
    2 Samuel 7: 1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16
 Romans 16:25-27
    Luke 1: 26-38[hr] Father Anthony F. Raso is the pastor of St. Sylvester’s parish, City Line.