The LORD spoke to Ahaz:
Ask for a sign from the Lord, your God; let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky!
In late Advent, the O-antiphons mark the final days of expectation. One antiphon appears each day to introduce the day's selected gospel passage, and to open our hearts to Mary's Magnificat in the Evening Prayer. Today we hear:
O Key of David, opening the gates of God’s eternal Kingdom: come and free the prisoners of darkness!
That "key," as suggested by the readings from Isaiah and Saint Luke, might be the ready obedience of Mary. It stands in sharp contrast to Ahab's hypocritical sincerity which "would not ask, would not tempt the Lord."
December 20 is marked for those who pray the Office of Readings by Saint Bernard's reflection on the Annunciation. I look forward to it each year. The eleventh century abbot imagines Mary's astonishment at Gabriel's appearance, and her wondering what the greeting means. Recalling the importance of that critical moment, he dramatically fears that she might hesitate. The young woman who already has plans to marry Joseph might pass the opportunity to welcome the Redeemer and save the universe. He brings home to me the beauty of her humble compliance and the urgency of her obedience.
The "Key of David" is our urgent readiness to obey, to be moved, and guided by the Holy Spirit, as were Jesus, Mary, and all the saints. Advent is not a period of idle waiting for something to happen. It is a time of reflection upon our sorry state which brings us to an urgent, hopeful, confident willingness to "Do whatever he tells you."
We have been living with Covid 19 and its variants for over two years now. The plague has accentuated innumerable problems and transformed them into crises. Along with over 800,000 American deaths by Covid, there have been over a hundred thousand American deaths by drug overdose. How many have died as a result of plague-related malnutrition, murder, and suicide? A nation of chronically lonely people, in decline since its stunning victories in 1945, cannot persuade its populace that life is worth living. Many spend their last years gazing not at the mystery of salvation but at a television. Their belief that "Freedom is doing what you want to do" is killing them.
O Key of David, opening the gates of God’s eternal Kingdom: come and free the prisoners of darkness!
As we hear Saint Luke's account of the Annunciation, we recognize Mary's obedience as the key to freedom. We must not only practice that freedom, we must persuasively show our freedom to a skeptical world. Like addicts everywhere, they stubbornly cling to the false belief that if they just keep doing the same thing over and over again, it will all come our right.
An undertaker told me recently that the most popular song for American funerals is, "I did it my way." What should we expect of such people?
Advent and Christmas lead us back to our poverty. We see it in Bethlehem; we feel it on Calvary. We cannot save ourselves. Today we join the chorus of saints and angels and sing:
Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory.
No comments:
Post a Comment
I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.