Let us open ourselves to the Child Jesus before commemorating his birth through his mother, the Virgin Mary.
Year after year, we experience these pre-Christmas moments. What do they call us? These include the procurement of gifts, a tree, the preparation of the Christmas meal, but also the sacrament of reconciliation. Have we realized that God speaks to us? God did not stop loving and liking us even after the sins of our grandparents and even after our sins, no matter how big, heavy, and no matter how many there were. When God decided to come into the world to save us in human nature, he needed a mother for that.
Evangelist St. Luke describes the event of the annunciation, when the angel Gabriel addresses the Virgin Mary: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you” (Luke 1:28).
The fourth Sunday of Advent is the last. In the part of the Gospel called the Annunciation, God addresses a woman and the Virgin Mary through the angel Gabriel.
Since ancient times, we have worshiped her as the Morning Star for this appeal to God through the angel Gabriel and the response of the Virgin Mary. The Church gives her this attribute because of the answer: “Behold, servant of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38). Commissioned by God, she announces the rise of the divine Sun.
To explain this deeply theological meaning, it is asked to note that the winter solstice was celebrated in Rome at this time. The sun began to increase in intensity of light and heat again, which was the cause of the joy of the Romans. The first Christians in Rome kept this pagan holiday, giving it new content. Christian content. We do not know when and in which month Jesus was born. According to “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12), the first Christians began to celebrate the birth of the Lord Jesus at the end of this winter solstice.
In the Advent liturgy, Holy Mass was celebrated only in the morning at dawn, before sunrise. The birth of a child is closely linked to the mother, who carries it under her heart. Even the Virgin Mary, before the birth of the Lord Jesus, is a symbol of the way; she is the Star that shows the light, her Son, to the world.
In the Old Testament, several prophets predicted the arrival of the Messiah on earth and associated his arrival with a star. In the prophecy of Balsam, there is talk of a star coming out of Jacob and announcing a blessing to the nations (cf. Nm 24:17). Already earlier in the Protoevangelium, God promises salvation to the grandparents in the woman and at the same time condemns the seducer, the devil: “I am establishing enmity between you and the woman, between your offspring and her offspring, he will crush your head, and you will bruise his heel” (Gn 3:15). Isaiah’s prophecy before King Ahaz of Judah is of great significance: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Is 7:14)! The figure of the Messiah in the Old Testament is accompanied by the figure of his mother long before the time came.
When their time has come, the Virgin Mary performs the foretold role. Addressing God receives and realizes it. The Virgin Mary consciously and voluntarily fulfills the will of God. Jesus Christ was given to us through the Virgin Mary, who was born as a Child. The Virgin Mary listened to God and always fulfilled God’s will before and after the Annunciation.
In the immediate moments before the feast of the Nativity of the Lord Jesus, the Church reminds us of the model, the example of the Virgin Mary. God also addresses each of us. We cannot ask God for special graces, apparitions of an angel, or other supernatural phenomena. Still, we should have an open mind and heart and will use everything offered to us to fully experience the Christmas holidays to our advantage. The Virgin Mary is a sign of hope for believers and non-believers alike. The Virgin Mary, as the Morning Star heralding the new day, is a strength in faith. Respect for the Virgin Mary is old, current, and timely. Who among people has not already been convinced of the truth of her words: “It was not heard that the one who fled under my protection and begged for my help was not heard!”
When we know ourselves, the circumstances of life we live, our sinfulness, and God’s great love, primarily through the sacrament of reconciliation, we do not doubt the great help of the Virgin Mary. Yes, we do not bow down to the Virgin Mary, but we also worship her in the run-up to Christmas as the one who does not block our view of the Lord Jesus, her Son, but points us to him in particular.
In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, our sins were forgiven. We must strengthen the state of the soul after the excellent sacrament of reconciliation, which we also call friendship with Jesus Christ. We know how weak and sinful we are, how quickly we forget what we promised in the sacrament of reconciliation, and what we decided to do. Therefore, let us often look at the Virgin Mary, who shows the way to her Son, our brother.
The Rosary, the Loret Litany, the Akathist, and other Marian prayers approved by the Church should not be prayed only a few times a year, on a pilgrimage, during Marian holidays, or when we find ourselves in need. The star that signals the beginning of the day in the morning fulfills its mission. It depends on each person how they survive the day. The Virgin Mary listened to God and fulfilled his will. It depends on us whether and how we listen to God. However, the Virgin Mary wants to help us listen to God and fulfill his will.
In a short story, the religious writer Tomáš Merton talks about a man who wanted to escape his shadow. However, he always had a shadow by his side. It didn’t help that he was picking up the pace. How did this person turn out? Exhausted, he fell to the ground.
Who among us does not have a shadow, the shadows of his sins? Who among us is without sin? God gave us the Virgin Mary as a helper. She did not know sin in her life. That is why we should follow her in our lives. Run under her protection, ask her for help, approach her confidently, and pray. If we want not only successfully to end Advent but also Christmas and our entire life on earth, let’s not forget the Virgin Mary, the Morning Star. She teaches us to listen to God. She is a model of fulfilling the will of God.
Have we already thought about what God wants to tell us before the feast of the birth of his Son? We can also express it in words: the Christmas holidays are not made by many gifts, a more generous table, or family gatherings, but by the state of the soul.
State of the soul. We should live Christmas without sin, with a clear conscience, doing good deeds to encourage and strengthen ourselves for the next life.
We often already hear the words: joyful, peaceful, happy… When we listen well to God, we know that these and other words have meaning and significance only when we follow the Virgin Mary. Man’s joy results only from a clear conscience. Such a conscience resembles paradise. Why do we wish for Christmas to be more prolonged and more frequent?
I heard of a street sweeper known for doing his job conscientiously and with joy. People who knew him observed his calmness, systematic, and precision. Years later, a new co-worker asked him for advice. He got her. When I have a very long street in front of me and feel the temptation never to sweep it, then I say to myself: “It is not possible to clean the street all at once. I have to go step by step. I try to take a breath regularly, and when someone I know passes by, I greet them or say hello and continue with my work. That brings me joy. I don’t even notice and am at the end of a clean, swept street.
We realize that we survived Advent with God’s help. We are all those who tried to keep the peace, but also those who were searching… Perhaps there are not only those who don’t have time; they are in a hurry… That’s how the holidays that are ahead of us will pass. And one day we will all be at the end of our lives. However, there will be differences between us. It will be at the hour of our death. How do we stand before God? That is why we want to strengthen and encourage ourselves, and not only today, at the intercession of the Virgin Mary so that we can listen to her and one day can hear a just but joyful reward from God—an invitation to his kingdom.
In Advent, the liturgy called us to joyfully listen to the voice of the prophets and prepare for the coming of the Lord. Today, let’s give thanks for these encouragements. Let’s promise the Virgin Mary that we want to improve what we underestimated and neglected and spend a peaceful and joyful Christmas with her at the manger under her protection.
