Article Published

Article_Mary believes, and the Word becomes flesh

Homilies | Saturday, December 20, 2014

Mary believes, and the Word becomes flesh

Archbishop Thomas Wenski's homily at St. Henry Church at Vigil Mass for the 4th Sunday of Advent

Archbishop Thomas Wenski's homily at St. Henry Church in Pompano Beach at Vigil Mass for the fourth Sunday of Advent. Saturday, Dec. 20, 2014. 

I congratulate your pastor, Father Francis, and all of you, for bringing to a successful conclusion this work of renovation here at St. Henry’s.  This more than just a little face lift – this involve some major reconstruction, and the results speak for themselves.

While all of you can take some holy pride in this work, in the first reading today, the Lord speaking through his prophet takes David down a notch or two.  King David resolved to build a temple for the Lord to dwell in – before this, the Ark of the Covenant – the most sacred sign of God’s presence among the Israelites – was housed in a tent.  “Thus says the Lord God, should you build me a house to dwell in?”  And then Lord points that David was no hot stuff – at least, not until the Lord pluck out from the sheep herds and made his King of Israel.  Who is David to think that he can build a temple for the Lord?

Of course, in the gospel reading, it is not some earthly power that builds a temple for God to dwell in.  It is the Holy Spirit, and the temple of course is Mary, whose ascent to God’s will, allows the Word of God to become flesh of her flesh in her virginal womb.  The Angel’s greeting says it all:  Mary, the Lord is with you.

Mary asks quite understandably, how can this be?  And, we too ask, how can this be?  The question is not simply about how Mary can conceive a child without “knowing” man.  Certainly, certainly that Mary conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and not through human agency is an article of faith, and while some struggle to believe in how this could be, it points to something even more marvelous, awe-inspiring, and to be sure difficult to understand how thing more marvelous could be.  In other words, how can God become a human being?

Yet, the incarnation – something completely unique to our Christian faith – is at the core of our gospel message.  God does become a human being – or, as St. John in his gospel puts it, “he pitches his tent among us.”

His presence in the world changes everything.  That’s the reason for the joy of the gospel; that’s the reason for its hope. And that presence in the world began in Mary’s womb – and through her “Yes”. Sin wants to crowd God out; sinless Mary makes room for God.  And, we celebrate on Christmas the fact that even though when Mary and Joseph knock on the doors of the inns of Bethlehem they were told that there was no room for them, God came into the world anyway. He is born in Bethlehem – and he is received by the lowly and the humble, those who make room for him in their lives and in the hearts.

As Pope Benedict said, on more than one occasion, Christianity is not an ideology or a philosophy; it is not even a moral code, at least not primarily. It is an encounter, an encounter with a person, Jesus Christ. The gospel isn’t primarily telling you how to live or what kind of morals you should have. Yeah, these may be side effects of the good news, but the main point, the heart of our faith, is about what God is up to in Jesus.

The truth of our faith and of eternal life is, as Jesus tells us in John’s gospel, is “to know him and the Father who sent him.”

In today’s gospel, as the prelude to our Christmas celebration, we hear the story of the Annunciation.

It is the story of Mary’s confusion, at first; but then it is the story of her obedient faith. Mary is the first disciple; she embodies faith and faithfulness. When God appears in our lives, we too can experience some confusion.  We are confused, perhaps, because the good news seems too good to be true – for it is the story of God’s faithfulness and his immeasurable love for our fallen humanity.  Mary, “full of grace” believes, and the Word becomes flesh.  When she begins to grasp the import of what is happening to her and through him, she extolls God before Elizabeth saying, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has done great things for me…”

May you, parishioners of St. Henry, join in her song.  Because the Lord has done great things for you. The Lord dwells here among you – may we all make room for him this Christmas and every day of our lives.

Powered by Parish Mate | E-system

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply