"Do Not Be Afraid, Mary.": The Fourth Sunday of Advent
Well, I'm late posting this week's homily. My apologies! You'll find a first draft following the opening comments. Please post any helpful suggestions you might have on the discussion board or e-mail them to me directly at jms48@fuse.net.
ESTABLISHING A POINT OF ENTRY INTO THE TEXT
This week's gospel text is the scene of the Annunciation to Mary (Luke 1:26-38). I plan to focus on Gabriel's words to our Lady: "Do not be afraid, Mary."
To help me prepare, I interviewed several mothers and an OB-GYN nurse. My goal was to inquire about the fears and apprehensions that new mothers and mothers-to-be tend to experience within various stages of pregnancy and the initial days of motherhood. Their comments were most helpful! Here's the first draft:
HOMILY FOR THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT
I had lunch with a group of mothers this past week,
some of whom also happened to be nurses.
We talked about Christmas.
We talked about Advent.
Most of all, we talked about one particular verse
from this Sunday’s gospel:
Do not be afraid, Mary.
Now, I realize, that for us Catholics,
this is not the verse that normally
gets our attention.
To focus on any other words in this passage
is a bit like...well,
it's like talking about a lamp instead of the light;
it’s like talking about darkness instead of the dawn.
Why do I say this?
Well, for anyone who honors and admires
the Mother of God,
the highlight of this passage
is found within the words of Mary,
not those of Gabriel.
After all, it was Mary’s courageous words
that welcomed the divine presence
and clothed the awesome mystery of God
in the warm cloak of human flesh.
“I am the handmaid of the Lord,
let it be done to me according to your word.”
We love the sound of those words
and we love the woman who uttered them.
But don’t rush by the words of the angel.
Don’t, for a minute, think that Gabriel’s words
were no longer hovering in the air.
Do not be afraid, Mary.
As any mother or nurse will tell you,
fear and worry are heavy things.
They fall on the heart
like groceries from a torn bag.
Do not be afraid, Mary.
How can a mother or a mother-to-be not be afraid?
Nine months of pregnancy means nine months of worry.
Will the child be healthy?
Will the child be strong and happy?
What about amniosantesis?
What about collick and jaundice and ear infections?
Do not be afraid, Mary.
What about fevers?
How do I take a baby’s temperature?
When I nurse the child, how will I know if he or she
is getting enough of my milk? Enough nourishment?
Do not be afraid, Mary.
When do I send my child to school?
Do I enroll my child this year or wait until next?
Will my child have friends?
What will I say when others make fun of my child?
How can I entrust my child to strangers
who can’t possibly kiss away the hurt
as good as I do?
Do not be afraid, Mary.
Can I teach my child to cherish
the important things of life?
Will my child rejoice in the world of color
and exult in the beauty of snow?
Will my child dive into water and swim and laugh and play?
And will my child be brave?
Will my child grow up to save the life of someone who is drowning
or defend the rights of someone who is shoved aside?
Do not be afraid, Mary.
Do not be afraid.
The power of the Most High will overshadow.
Your child will be called the Son of God.
And so new life in Mary was conceived…
and the story of the salvation of the world commenced.
It began in fear, but the fear did not flee.
It never completely left.
It tugged at her heart
and showed in her eyes
each time the baby’s cry turned shrill,
each time he ran from the house
--as little boys do--
only to come back with a swollen lip
or blood matted in his hair.
It was always there, as it is for every mother.
Sometimes in the background,
like the knock of a hammer
or the sound of a saw in the carpenter shop out back.
Other times the fear was as sharp and loud
as the cries of the crowds that began to gather
on the shore of the sea to hear the words that he would speak.
This son of hers,
this child she carried in her womb
now cradling lepers with open sores
now lifting children into lap…
This son of hers
now going down to the river,
now going out to the desert
now going to the sea
to pull in nets of fish with strong arms bronzed with the sun.
This son of hers who one, she knew
as only a mother could know,
she knew blood would string down those arms
and nails would pierce the hands she once washed
because his words were strong,
too strong
way to strong
and soldiers would come…
she knew they would come for him.
Do not be afraid, Mary.
If only she could stop them.
If only she could take him home.
If only she could hold him.
Do not be afraid, Mary.
If only she could be with him…
Do not be afraid.
on that day…when it would it happen,
when they would come for him.
…
…
Do not be afraid.
Mary…remember…the Power of the Most High...
God holds you; God himself enfolds you...
Do not be afraid.
__________________________
[Note to Preachers: Final drafts of recent homilies are now posted on the St. Aloysius Parish Website. I urge you to compare the first drafts (located in this blog) with the revised ones (located on the parish website; link appears at top of this page). A side-by-side analysis will reveal how transitions were improved, cumbersome paragraphs jettisoned, conclusions tightened, etc.]
ESTABLISHING A POINT OF ENTRY INTO THE TEXT
This week's gospel text is the scene of the Annunciation to Mary (Luke 1:26-38). I plan to focus on Gabriel's words to our Lady: "Do not be afraid, Mary."
To help me prepare, I interviewed several mothers and an OB-GYN nurse. My goal was to inquire about the fears and apprehensions that new mothers and mothers-to-be tend to experience within various stages of pregnancy and the initial days of motherhood. Their comments were most helpful! Here's the first draft:
HOMILY FOR THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT
I had lunch with a group of mothers this past week,
some of whom also happened to be nurses.
We talked about Christmas.
We talked about Advent.
Most of all, we talked about one particular verse
from this Sunday’s gospel:
Do not be afraid, Mary.
Now, I realize, that for us Catholics,
this is not the verse that normally
gets our attention.
To focus on any other words in this passage
is a bit like...well,
it's like talking about a lamp instead of the light;
it’s like talking about darkness instead of the dawn.
Why do I say this?
Well, for anyone who honors and admires
the Mother of God,
the highlight of this passage
is found within the words of Mary,
not those of Gabriel.
After all, it was Mary’s courageous words
that welcomed the divine presence
and clothed the awesome mystery of God
in the warm cloak of human flesh.
“I am the handmaid of the Lord,
let it be done to me according to your word.”
We love the sound of those words
and we love the woman who uttered them.
But don’t rush by the words of the angel.
Don’t, for a minute, think that Gabriel’s words
were no longer hovering in the air.
Do not be afraid, Mary.
As any mother or nurse will tell you,
fear and worry are heavy things.
They fall on the heart
like groceries from a torn bag.
Do not be afraid, Mary.
How can a mother or a mother-to-be not be afraid?
Nine months of pregnancy means nine months of worry.
Will the child be healthy?
Will the child be strong and happy?
What about amniosantesis?
What about collick and jaundice and ear infections?
Do not be afraid, Mary.
What about fevers?
How do I take a baby’s temperature?
When I nurse the child, how will I know if he or she
is getting enough of my milk? Enough nourishment?
Do not be afraid, Mary.
When do I send my child to school?
Do I enroll my child this year or wait until next?
Will my child have friends?
What will I say when others make fun of my child?
How can I entrust my child to strangers
who can’t possibly kiss away the hurt
as good as I do?
Do not be afraid, Mary.
Can I teach my child to cherish
the important things of life?
Will my child rejoice in the world of color
and exult in the beauty of snow?
Will my child dive into water and swim and laugh and play?
And will my child be brave?
Will my child grow up to save the life of someone who is drowning
or defend the rights of someone who is shoved aside?
Do not be afraid, Mary.
Do not be afraid.
The power of the Most High will overshadow.
Your child will be called the Son of God.
And so new life in Mary was conceived…
and the story of the salvation of the world commenced.
It began in fear, but the fear did not flee.
It never completely left.
It tugged at her heart
and showed in her eyes
each time the baby’s cry turned shrill,
each time he ran from the house
--as little boys do--
only to come back with a swollen lip
or blood matted in his hair.
It was always there, as it is for every mother.
Sometimes in the background,
like the knock of a hammer
or the sound of a saw in the carpenter shop out back.
Other times the fear was as sharp and loud
as the cries of the crowds that began to gather
on the shore of the sea to hear the words that he would speak.
This son of hers,
this child she carried in her womb
now cradling lepers with open sores
now lifting children into lap…
This son of hers
now going down to the river,
now going out to the desert
now going to the sea
to pull in nets of fish with strong arms bronzed with the sun.
This son of hers who one, she knew
as only a mother could know,
she knew blood would string down those arms
and nails would pierce the hands she once washed
because his words were strong,
too strong
way to strong
and soldiers would come…
she knew they would come for him.
Do not be afraid, Mary.
If only she could stop them.
If only she could take him home.
If only she could hold him.
Do not be afraid, Mary.
If only she could be with him…
Do not be afraid.
on that day…when it would it happen,
when they would come for him.
…
…
Do not be afraid.
Mary…remember…the Power of the Most High...
God holds you; God himself enfolds you...
Do not be afraid.
__________________________
[Note to Preachers: Final drafts of recent homilies are now posted on the St. Aloysius Parish Website. I urge you to compare the first drafts (located in this blog) with the revised ones (located on the parish website; link appears at top of this page). A side-by-side analysis will reveal how transitions were improved, cumbersome paragraphs jettisoned, conclusions tightened, etc.]
posted by BlueCollarPreacher at 8:25 PM
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