Catechism Links [1]
CCC 439, 496, 559, 2616: Jesus is the Son of David
CCC 143-149, 494, 2087: The “obedience of faith”
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| “Annunciation” by Paolo Domenico Finoglia, 1630s |
Readings for the Fourth Sunday of Advent [2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
Readings and Commentary: [4]
Reading 1: 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16
When King David was settled in his palace,
and the LORD had given him rest from his enemies on every side,
he said to Nathan the prophet,
“Here I am living in a house of cedar,
while the ark of God dwells in a tent!”
Nathan answered the king,
“Go, do whatever you have in mind,
for the LORD is with you.”
But that night the LORD spoke to Nathan and said:
“Go, tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD:
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.
And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth.
I will fix a place for my people Israel;
I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place
without further disturbance.
Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old,
since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel.
I will give you rest from all your enemies.
The LORD also reveals to you
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.”
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Commentary on 2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16
Within the historical books of the Old Testament (1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, 1 and 2 Maccabees), this passage is considered to have the most theological significance. Nathan’s oracle, the establishment of the dynasty of King David, marks the beginning of the understanding of royal messianism, our first hint of the Messiah to come.
CCC: 2 Sm 7 709; 2 Sm 7:14 238, 441
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29
R. (2a) For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
The promises of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”;
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant:
Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations.”
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
“He shall say of me, ‘You are my father,
my God, the Rock, my savior.’
Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,
and my covenant with him stands firm.”
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
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Commentary on Ps 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29
Though Psalm 89 is a lament, this first section is prophetic and reiterates the establishment of the Davidic dynasty. The intended support for 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16 is clear. It is likely this hymn was sung entreating God, and reminding the people of the covenant between God and David to “establish your throne for all generations.”
CCC: Ps 89 709
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Reading II: Romans 16:25-27
Brothers and sisters:
To him who can strengthen you,
according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages
but now manifested through the prophetic writings and,
according to the command of the eternal God,
made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith,
to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ
be glory forever and ever. Amen.
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Commentary on Rom 16:25-27
This selection from the last chapter of St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans is part of what is known as “Letter of Recommendations to Phoebe.” It was probably sent to the Church in Ephesus as opposed to Rome. The selection is a doxology or short hymn to the Lord that concludes the letter (both the selection and the whole letter to the Romans) in praise of Christ Jesus.
CCC: Rom 16:25-27 2641; Rom 16:26 143, 1204, 2087
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Gospel: Luke 1:26-38
The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
“Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and 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.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“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.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.
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Commentary on Lk 1:26-38
This passage, from St. Luke’s Gospel, is the story of Mary being informed by the archangel Gabriel that she has been chosen for the great privilege of bearing the Savior of the world. St. Mary graciously accepts this honor, although with very human fear, indicating that her free will is at play. This response makes her obedience to God’s will more powerful. It is proposed that, with this acceptance, Mary entered into a vow of perpetual virginity because of the demands of Isaiah 7:14: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel."
CCC: Lk 1:26-38 497, 706, 723, 2571; Lk 1:26-27 488; Lk 1:26 332; Lk 1:28-37 494; Lk 1:28 490, 491; Lk 1:31 430, 2812; Lk 1:32-33 709; Lk 1:32 559; Lk 1:34 484, 497, 505; Lk 1:35 437, 484, 486, 697; Lk 1:37-38 494; Lk 1:37 148, 269, 273, 276; Lk 1:38 64, 148, 510, 2617, 2677, 2827, 2856
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Reflection:
The candles of hope, love, and joy continue to shine and are finally joined by the candle of peace. With its lighting the flame shines brightly inviting the Prince of Peace to rule our hearts and minds.
Today we consider a young Virgin Mary. She is the daughter of Anne and Joachim, a pious and humble girl who is betrothed to a local carpenter, Joseph. She is, in her day, not a princess or a wealthy daughter of the secular nobility. She is just a young girl in a small town. Yes, she must seem to her friends and family as unusually faith-filled and devoted to God. But beyond this singular devotion to God and its associated humility, there is nothing that raises her to national or social prominence; nothing that would cause a casual observer of the town to stop and take notice as she passed.
Up to the point in time described in St. Luke’s Gospel she has led a reasonably normal life. Even she must have thought that her life would proceed normally. The appearance of Gabriel changed everything. At the moment it happened Mother Mary must have been surprised. Even the greeting; “Hail, full of grace!” must have taken her aback. “The Lord is with you.” The heavenly messenger brought the essence of God into her presence with a profound purpose. Yet the full magnitude of what was proposed must have come to her only after the angel had left her. She would certainly have known the prophecy. She would have, from her earliest upbringing, been told of the history of her people; how Moses led the people out of bondage; how they came to the land God had promised. She would have known about the great King David (she too was of his line) and how the prophets, including Nathan, had promised that a great savior of the people would come from him.
Sweet Mary would have recalled all of this either during or immediately following that miraculous visit. How crushing must have been that weight of history and prophecy. Generation upon generation had waited and hoped for the promise to be fulfilled. Even in her day the Zealots were looking for a great leader to rise up and, through force of arms, throw off the Roman yoke as King David had done so victoriously in battle, to unseat their puppet King Herod and lead the people to peace and freedom once more. She must have realized that God’s plan would disappoint these misguided patriots. Even before Simeon told her of the sorrow she would feel, she must have suspected much of her son’s destiny.
It is this backdrop which makes her response so much more compelling for us. In the face of all of this knowledge and not even considering the social and religious consequences of coming to her betrothed with child, and the possible death sentence that could bring to her, she answered, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”
It is her unquestioning faith we see flowing out of these words. She comes as God’s handmaid, his servant, concerned only with doing his will, unconcerned with the consequences for herself. Truly, at that moment, as the Holy Spirit placed within her womb the Christ Child to come, she experienced the peace of him who brings peace to us.
Now as we look back at this event (for the second time in as many days) we look forward to our own acceptance of God’s call and the peace our hope, love, and joy in the Lord can bring. We are reminded of St. Paul’s words to Phoebe and take heart knowing our faith in the Gospel will strengthen us as we look forward and back at our salvation which arrived in the form of the infant Christ, and which will come again upon his return in glory.
Pax
[1] Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[2] The picture used is “Annunciation” by Paolo Domenico Finoglia, 1630s.
[3] S.S. Commemoratio
[4] The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[5] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, The First and Second Books of Samuel, © 2016, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. p. 80.
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