2nd Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16Romans 16:25-27Luke 1:26-38

Advent anticipates the Christmas story, but it requires us to work hard to see beyond a child’s appreciation of the birth of a baby.  The Church is anticipating and reflecting upon not a mere birthday, but the Mystery of the Incarnation.  Today’s scripture texts proclaim that mystery and wrestle with it.  And, of course, wrestling is a “contact sport” requiring the exertion of great effort!

King David united the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah.  He brought a certain amount of tribal peace to the region.  He took King Saul’s work farther and established the United Kingdom of Israel and Judah as a genuine political entity.  Surely, he thought, the time had come to replace the portable tabernacle tent with a genuine temple in which to house the Ark of the Covenant and the divine Shekinah (the term used for the ancient Jewish “Real Presence” of God “who dwells among God’s People”).  Almost all of the religions in the Ancient Near East had the idea that their gods and goddesses usually resided in their temples.  Judaism was at least parallel to them if not quite the same.  After all, there was no statue or image of the Jewish God.  But, a sacred place in which God’s earthly throne (the Mercy Seat on top of the Ark of the Covenant) would rest “localized” God’s presence.  King David thought the construction of a temple was timely.  So did that great prophet, Nathan, at first.  But, through a divine intervention in the prophet’s nightly dreaming, God subverted the royal and prophetic conventual wisdom, and pointed out that the Divine Presence was more in the divine power and activity found accompanying David on his exploits, in giving David victory in battle, in being present and near at hand in the current day, and in guaranteeing the secure succession of David’s son(s) on the royal throne, “forever.”  This ancient lesson is repeated still today when people confuse the church building for “the Church” as Sacred Assembly.  The building (whether church building or temple) gets its designation from the people who meet there and from the actions they perform there.  It was and is God’s dynamic presence, not merely the form or shape or appearance of a building, which best describes God’s infinite and wonderful mystery.

What Catholic, the Eastern Orthodox and some Protestant Christians call “The Annunciation” is a title for today’s Gospel narrative.  The angelic announcement is how the early Church believers imagined the intimate and privileged relationship between God and the lowly young woman, Mary of Nazareth.  The lectionary connection between the story of King David and the Prophet Nathan on the one hand, and the Annunciation of God’s Plan to Mary by the Angel Gabriel on the other rests on the Christian belief that Jesus, Son of Mary, was a descendant of King David, one of those promised in the final lines of today’s first reading.  Early Christians would trace Jesus’ theological ancestry back to the Royal House of David through Mary’s husband, Joseph, in Luke’s Gospel’s (Luke 3:23-38) and also in Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 1:1-17), allowing the Christian image of Christ the King of the Universe to evolve and establish.  But, from the perspective of Mary who would carry the child Jesus in her womb for nine months, she was the New Testament’s “Ark of the (New) Covenant” and it was upon her that God’s Real Presence descended as the Angel Gabriel spoke to her.  Thus, the ancient Temple in Jerusalem was the location of God’s Presence for the Chosen People, and Mary herself became for a short time the location of God’s Presence in the Mystery of the Incarnation for the whole world.

The second reading today is comprised of two sentences in English.  The second has but one word, “Amen.”  The first sentence is a lengthy (69 words) panegyric praising the dynamic and eloquent plan of God who kept the Good News of ultimate Salvation secret while leading up to the Mystery of the Incarnation through prophetic preaching, encouragement, and challenge.  Indeed, this message asserted that it had been God’s will since the very beginning of everything to send his Word, his Savior, for the benefit and salvation of everyone, or as Paul wrote, “... according to the command of the eternal God, made known to all nations...”

So, while Advent is a somewhat somber time by virtue of the shortening days and lengthening nights, and increasingly cold temperatures (there is admittedly a bias towards the northern hemisphere in these reflections!), nonetheless, its seasonal message is joyful expectation, hope, mutual compassion, and kindness upon everyone in the human race and on every aspect of our world.  We are successors in some ways to the mythic Adam and Eve.  We’ve been given all creation, a virtual Garden, in which to live, if only we can tend it well, in wise and responsible obedience to God’s compassion and truth.

In this year (2011), Advent is as long as possible for the season, i.e., four full weeks.  Christmas Day (December 25th) falls on a Sunday.  This allows for a respectful and reasonable schedule for transition from Advent to Christmas on the part of church decorators and musicians.  It also is a great reprieve to last year’s “back-to-back” occurrence of Christmas Day and Sunday.  The clergy and all other liturgical ministers and parish volunteers and staff members all rejoice in this reasonable and humane schedule.  Those who only insert themselves into Church life on Christmas and Easter and other rare occasions will notice nothing.  But, all who participate fully with their heart and soul and mind and strength will appreciate a full four week preparation for the proclamation of the Incarnation.  May it be a genuinely deep appreciation of the mystery of Christ among us.  May we in turn live among our neighbors fully with the mind and in the attitude of Christ the Savior, the Word Made Flesh who Dwells Among Us!