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Post date: Dec 21, 2020 4:36:30 AM

December 20, 2020 Homily by Fr. Karl Schray

The angel Gabriel announced the birth of a king: “the Lord God

will give him the throne of David, his father, and he will rule over

the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

It is interesting how St. Luke begins to tell us:

He first introduces Mary, but not in the usual way we introduce someone.

We would have said, ‘I would like you to meet Mary. She’s from Galilee

and is engaged to marry Joseph.’ None of us would have dared to add

‘She’s a virgin’. But it is a particularly important thing—

he wants us to know she’s a virgin before he even tells us Mary’s name.

Why? Because Mary would conceive in a miraculous way,

through the power of the Holy Spirit. That alone was spectacular but

that was only the beginning of the most unique and wonderful event

this world would ever see. The king, the Messiah, the Christ

would be king over a kingdom that would never end.

To top that, the angel said, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.

Therefore, the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.”

This is an awesome mystery that God took on our human flesh and

became like us in every way except sin. (the Incarnation).

The God who dwelt among his people housed in a tent and then a temple

for many generations, now comes to live with his people as one of us,

taking on our own flesh and blood.

St. Augustine said it beautifully:

“Mary first conceived Jesus in her heart by faith, and then

in her womb.”

Each of us has the similar vocation to bring Christ to our world.

One more thing.

Did you notice the respect God showed Mary in the Annunciation?

God did not tell her. He asked her and waited for her answer.

This is a hint of how the Son of God comes to us.

A hint of how Christ’s Mass can fully fill our hearts.

God’s Son wants to live in each of us. As God did with Mary,

God waits for each of us to answer him as to whether he is welcome.

Are we able to say as Mary did: “I am the servant of the Lord?

I will do whatever you want of me, O God.”