Thursday of the Third Week of Advent

Readings for Thursday of the Third Week of Advent[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Commentary:

Reading 1 Isaiah 7:10-14

Ahaz is actually being hypocritical as he says; “I will not tempt the Lord.” Which explains why Isaiah reacts the way he does. Isaiah does not realize the import of his prediction. Most scholars agree he thinks he is merely speaking of the rescue of Judah. We of course see the fuller meaning of his statement which is fulfilled in the accounts of the nativity of the Lord from the Gospels.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 24:1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6
R. Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory.

The psalm selection focuses on the character of the one who worthily seeks God and the one who is worthy to come into God’s kingdom and stand before him. We are answered; “He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain.” Followed as it is by the account of the Annunciation we see Mother Mary and the Lord standing in that space.

Gospel Luke 1:26-38

Here we have St. Luke’s story of the Annunciation. The Archangel Gabriel comes to Mary and tells her she will bear a son and names him Jesus (the eternal implication of this statement is made clear in the greeting which presupposes knowledge of Mary’s entire existence). Mary confirms the title “Virgin” given by the author as she questions Gabriel saying; “How can this be, since I have not relations with a man?” Even though she does not understand Mary accepts she role and is told that the Holy Spirit will be the agent of the life within her and utters those amazing words: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word."

This story parallels the one we heard yesterday when the angel visited Zachariah and told him of the conception of John the Baptist. That event is referenced in this one as the Gabriel provides as proof to Mary, informing her of the pregnancy of Elizabeth.

Reflection:

We near the end of our spiritual preparation for the great feast of the Lord’s Nativity. We have heard the Baptist’s cry and have been called to look to our hearts to see the place we have made for the Lord. As the starter of a race says, we have already been told “On your mark.” With the proclamation once more of St. Luke’s story of the Annunciation, we find ourselves poised as the second warning, “get set” brings us to a barely contained state of expectation. (Hold steady, it will be four more days before we hear “Go.” No false starts now.)

Even as we hold ourselves at readiness we take one last look at our preparations.

Have we cleaned our old hurts and hates in the sacrament of Reconciliation?

Have we established a prayer regimen that includes an attitudinal reflection? (By this we are referring to that portion of our prayer that not only gives thanks to God for all He has done, but also expresses our joy in those gifts.)

Have we aligned our actions and planned actions with our prayer and our Lord’s commandments to us?

Have we adjusted our own desires to better conform ourselves to what God would want for us and from us?

We could not help but be very moved by the psalm this morning. Look at what it says. First it asks the rhetorical questions; “Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord, or who may stand in his holy place?” Then in the very next strophe we are given the answer; “He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain.” That’s were the questions above came from.

We know that we cannot, in this life, become worthy to stand in the physical presence of the Lord, but we can make a real effort to so transform our lives that we minimize our period of purification following this life so we can stand sinless before Him. That is our object this Advent season, and we don’t have much time left, 5 more days.

Pax

[1] After Links to Readings Expire
[2] The picture today is “Virgin of the Annunciation” by Antonello da Messina, c. 1475