Saturday 18 December 2021

Psalm 100

Background

The angel Gabriel, messenger from God, announced God’s momentous intervention in human history by coming to a young girl who had no human achievements or status, except that she was engaged to be married to Joseph. He tells her she will conceive and bear a son – Jesus.

This reading reminds us that God can work through a human person simply because of their willingness to be responsive to God’s invitation and not because of any special skills or status they may have.

It does not mean that God’s invitation was not scary and confusing. Many paintings of the Annunciation show Mary drawing back. And I would have done so too! The undertaking was going to be costly and would shake up her world. The honour of being chosen by God to bear Jesus would not be obvious to her community or husband to be. Mary’s first thought, understandably, was to think that it was not possible. In a similar way, many of us faced with God’s invitation can think it is not possible and not a good idea.

If Mary is to allow it, she will have to take it a step at a time, with no guaranteed smooth path. And many years later as she looked at her son at the time of the crucifixion, it must have seemed a disaster.

 Gabriel informed Mary that her relative Elizabeth had conceived in her old age, even though she was beyond childbearing years. "For nothing will be impossible with God." (v. 37)

 Mary’s response to God, via the angel Gabriel, is an allowing. A ‘let it be’ to God’s purposes working through her, in her ordinary, everyday human situation. Her agency was an allowing of God to work in her, rather than any skilful action on her own part. She was to say ‘yes’ to participating in a drama with an uncertain unfolding.

To Ponder:

• The 12th-century Dominican Meister Eckhart said that we are all called to be a ‘Mother of God’ – to give birth to God’s life in the world. How has the invitation come to you? Were you scared and did you allow it?
• Is it helpful to see saying ‘yes’ to God, as allowing God to use ‘who’ you are, rather than ‘what’ you do, or is it a mixture of the two?
• Does this story shake up our ideas of how God acts in the world? In what ways would you say yes and what ways no?