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Created: 20 December 2020

Fourth Sunday of Advent - Year B

This Sunday’s Gospel, Luke 1: 26-38, recounts the encounter between the Virgin Mary and the angel Gabriel.

At this encounter, in the exchange between Mary and the angel Gabriel, the angel praised her and told her that she would conceive and bring forth the Son of God.
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.” (Luke 1: 30-35)

Though her heart was filled with wonder and concern, the Virgin Mary accepted the invitation. Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)

Through Mary's acceptance of Gabriel's message to her, history of humankind was changed. Indeed, the Son of God came into the world and then delivered mortal mankind from the power of the death and the darkness of sin.

Truly, the Son of God came into the world as a human to live with us, to share, to tell us about the love of God and the Father's will to redeem mankind, and to die for our sin.

Let us all exalt and adore Our God for His endless love for us. Thanks to our blessed Mother Mary for saying "Yes". With the greatest privilege of being the Mother of the Son of God, she always accompanies and blesses us on our way to heavenly home where God himself has prepared for us.

Let us, for our part, bring forth the good news of Christmas to each other and to the brothers and sisters who still do not know God's love.

Fr. Phi Nguyen