December 18, 2011

Readings for the Fourth Sunday of Advent: 2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16; Rom 16:25-27; Lk 1:26-38

There is a story about a rich man who gave a lecture to a group of aspiring businessmen. He mesmerized them when he told them, "When I came to this town I only had the clothes I was wearing and a brown paper bag and see what I was able to make of myself?" Following the speech, one a young man courageously asked him in private, "What was inside the brown paper bag?" The rich man responded, "half a million dollars."

Like the rich man I cannot contemplate leaving home with my pockets empty. I always have some money in my wallet in case of an emergency. I always carry a second credit card as a backup if the first doesn't work. I never leave home without my AAA card and my medical insurance card, just in case! I always know where my next meal is coming from and where I am going to sleep that night. I may trust that God is going to take care of me, but I want to make sure that I can also take care of myself.

This fourth Sunday of Advent reminds us, however, that in the end it is only God who is going to provide for us and that we need to be completely open to His working in our lives. The scriptures begin with King David after he had conquered the city of Jerusalem and built for himself a comfortable palace. Now that he is established, he desires to build a temple to house the Ark of the Covenant that had been placed in a tent. But the Lord says to King David through the prophet Nathan, “Should you build me a house to dwell in? It was I who took you from the pasture and from the care of the flock to be commander of my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you went, and I have destroyed all your enemies before you." The prophet goes on to reveal that “He will establish a house for you. And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins, and I will make his kingdom firm. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever."(2 Sam 7) King David in all his power and wealth is reminded that it is not us who build a house for God; it is God who builds a place for us. We are not the ones in control. Our wealth and power, our strength and wisdom cannot provide an adequate place for God to dwell. As we will see in the Gospel, it will be only through our humility and weakness that we can provide a suitable place for God to dwell.

The temple contemplated by King David will finally be built by his son, Solomon and rebuilt over the years with the final edition built by King Herod. It will be in this temple that the Angel Gabriel will visit the priest Zechariah before he visits the Blessed Virgin Mary as we hear in today's Gospel. Zechariah, however, is a wise, established man of advanced age. Despite the Angel’s insistence on him not being afraid, Zechariah will doubt and incur the wrath of God through the Angel Gabriel.

Mary, however, is very different from her uncle Zechariah. She is a poor unmarried, young lady probably only in her teens. The Angel does not visit her in the Holy of Holies, but in a town called Nazareth, that can hardly be found on a map. After the Angel tells her not to be afraid and tells her what God's plans are for her, she responds with complete confidence, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” (Lk 2:38) This simple response of the Blessed Virgin Mary, her great yes or "Fiat", will open the way for God to build his home among us through His Son, the Eternal Word, made flesh.

We are reminded on this Fourth Sunday of Advent that it is not about what we can provide for God, but what God desires to provide for us. When we approach God with all of our wealth and power we only realize how little we actually have. We are more properly like the beggars with our hands out seeking out our substance through the goodness of God's love. The money in our pockets, our credit and insurance cards, even all of the many items carried in a woman's purse, will not provide an adequate place for our Lord to dwell in.

God does not desire to dwell in a Temple or in a Church, He desires to dwell in our hearts. As beautiful as our worship space is here at Mary Star of the Sea Church, God's true desire is not to dwell in a tabernacle, but in our community. It was through a humble handmaid of the Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary that Jesus became incarnate. It will be through our humble, contrite hearts that God will abide with us. This last week of Advent invites us to respond not as if we have all the wisdom, wealth and power, but as simple handmaids of the Lord totally dependent on God's grace.

• One of the best ways to humble ourselves and say yes to God is through the Sacrament of Penance. Tomorrow, Monday December 19 at St. John Fisher Parish in Palos Verdes at 7:30 P.M. there will be a Penance Service and on Tuesday, December 20 at 7:00 p.m. we will have our Penance Service. This is the ideal way and time to prepare for the coming of our Lord.
• Please see our Mass schedule for Christmas, take a bulletin to your friends and invite them to celebrate Christmas with us.
• Our office will be closed on December 23 and December 26.

God Bless,

Father John Provenza

Pastor