It's good for us to all be together.
Welcome to St. John the Apostle Catholic Church on this fourth Sunday of Advent, this Sunday
that is so near to the celebration of Christmas, so near in fact that we can say that if it
hasn't gotten done yet, it's not going to get done.
So just be at peace.
Be at peace and know that in the Catholic tradition, Christmas lasts not one day, but
twelve.
So if you haven't gotten something done, you can say, well, I have twelve days to get that
in.
So this fourth Sunday of Advent every year draws our attention to the role of the Blessed
Virgin Mary in salvation history.
You might have picked up, some of you, that the opening prayer today.
Today is the prayer that's more commonly known as the Angelus Prayer, the pour forth
we beseech thee, O Lord, prayer.
That's a prayer that goes all the way back to the days of Charlemagne, by the way.
It's been with us for quite some time.
This Sunday in the readings, we hear the prophecy of Isaiah, that the virgin shall conceive
and bear a son and name him Emmanuel.
God is with us.
Isaiah foretold this centuries before the birth of Christ.
Saint Matthew picks up on this and makes sure that we know that the birth of Jesus Christ
is the fulfillment of this wonderful prophecy of Isaiah.
The belief in the virgin birth of Jesus Christ is a belief that is shared among Christians
of every stripe.
Catholic, Orthodox, mainline Protestant, Evangelical, it's a belief that we share.
It's found in the Nicene Creed.
It's something that unites us together.
But what is the significance of the belief in the virgin birth?
What does it point to?
What does it help us to understand better?
Three things about the virgin birth of our Lord today.
First of all, the virgin birth points to God's absolute initiative in bringing about
the salvation of men and women.
That even though the human race had gotten very, very lost, and even though God had communicated
in many and varied ways with His people through the prophets.
He still took us.
He still took us.
He still took us.
took the lead in bringing salvation to his people.
The virgin birth means that God is the author of our salvation.
This virgin birth, which is seemingly impossible,
and yet nothing is impossible with God,
not even the salvation of poor sinners like you and me.
God takes the lead.
Second, this doctrine of the virgin birth points to what the scriptures call the new creation.
This birth that takes place through the virginity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
points to something very, very new.
As new as...
This creation itself.
The new creation surpassing the old.
It's no coincidence that St. John begins his gospel account with the words of Genesis.
We don't find the story of the nativity of Jesus in St. John's gospel.
We don't hear about the shepherds and the wise men.
But we do hear St. John,
beginning,
his gospel with the words,
in the beginning.
Those words of creation.
In the beginning was the word.
And the word was with God.
And the word was God.
St. John makes this connection
between the first creation
and the new creation.
In Jesus Christ,
the new creation begins.
That which will undo
the...
the sinful effects
of our first parents.
Jesus Christ whom St. Paul calls the new Adam.
Because just as through Adam's
disobedience to God's,
the reign of sin entered the world,
so through the obedience of Jesus Christ,
grace enters the world.
Through his obedience,
through our Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane,
saying,
not my will,
but your will be done,
undoes what is,
what happens in the Garden of Eden,
through the sin of Adam.
And just as in the Garden of Eden there was man and woman,
so the early fathers of the church
point to the Blessed Virgin Mary
as the new Eve.
They would say that,
the knot of Eve's disobedience was unraveled by the yes of Mary's obedience. Be it done unto me
according to your word. The Blessed Virgin Mary is the portal through which the new creation
is born. And in addition to pointing to God's absolute initiative and the new creation,
the doctrine of the virgin birth points to the role that you and me have in bringing about
the kingdom of God. Just as the Blessed Virgin Mary was privileged to give birth to our Savior,
to give birth to God, to give birth to the new creation, to give birth to the new creation,
to give birth to the new creation, to give birth to the new creation, to give birth to the new
give birth to the one who would preach the good news get to give birth to the one who would by
his action on the cross open the gates of heaven so too do you and I have a role in salvation
history we are privileged through our discipleship through our baptism to be the means by which
good news enters the world to be the means by which the hand of Christ the healing hand
the consoling hand the helping hand of Christ is extended to people in need
we have the privilege of speaking words of hope to our troubled world you and I like the blessed
Virgin Mary
have a role to play her role was great our role is small and yet significant
because each one here is here for a reason each one here has a role to play
that cannot possibly be played by anyone else and so on this fourth Sunday of Advent as we
get ready for the celebration
of our
Lord's birth may we be open to his presence in the Holy Eucharist may we allow him in to our
lives at a deeper and deeper level that we might be more aware of God's will God's purpose and
that we might be resolute in putting his will into practice in our daily living