4th Sunday of Advent
With the glorious feast of Christmas now at our doorstep, Holy Mother Church brings before the eyes of our contemplation two biblical figures. First of all, St John the Baptist, the Precursor. He appears on the scene with an austere message, calling to repentance. He himself lives an austere life in the desert. He eats little, wears coarse, uncomfortable clothing, and spends his time praying and preaching, urging the people to make ready for the coming of the Messiah. Let’s tune in for a moment and listen to the First Century reporter on the scene, resuming the text where today’s Gospel left off:
John said therefore to the multitudes that went forth to be baptized by him: Ye offspring of vipers, who hath shewed you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of penance: and do not begin to say, We have Abraham for our father. For I say unto you that God is able of these stones, to raise up children to Abraham. For now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be cut down and cast into the fire. And the people asked him, saying: What then shall we do? And he answering, said to them: He that hath two coats, let him give to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do in like manner. And the publicans also came to be baptized and said to him: Master, what shall we do? But he said to them: Do nothing more than that which is appointed you. And the soldiers also asked him, saying: And what shall we do? And he said to them: Do violence to no man, neither calumniate any man; and be content with your pay (Lk 3:7-14).
In other words, the Baptist calls all to conversion, to keep the commandments and practice fraternal charity. He does not tell everyone to go and sell their belongings and follow him to the desert. Rather, he urges all to achieve perfection in their state of life, avoiding all injustice, and looking out for the needs of others. Let’s not forget that in the scene of the final judgment, what separates the goats from the sheep is that they failed to provide for the needs of their brothers in need. The Baptist is also saying that the coming of the Messiah places demands upon us. Faith is not enough, works are required. Whatever our position in life, every day of our lives we are given opportunities to prepare for the coming of God’s grace in our souls, and this by accepting to walk in the way of the commandments, by refusing to stride the path of impudent self-love.
The other figure we are presented with on this Sunday is of course Our Blessed Lady. She is the one to whom the archangel sings the Ave Maria of the offertory verse, one of those sweet Marian hymns, little known outside of monasteries, and which gives us a taste of how deeply grateful that prince of the heavenly court was to address those words to the young virgin He knew was destined to be the Queen of Heaven. Mary is the earth that will open to give us the longed-for fruit of life on Christmas night, of which the Introit sang. By turning our eyes to the Mother of Christ, the Church is telling us the best way to be ready for Jesus. No one welcomed Him like Mary. No one holds the secret of His Heart like Mary. No one can instruct us in the love of holy poverty, which is the great grace of Christmas.
When we consider these two figures, the Baptist and the Virgin, we are struck by an apparent dissimilitude. The one rough, the other gentle. The one strong, the other apparently weak. The one outspoken, the other silent. The one virile, the other the very epitome of the feminine. They seem so different, and yet they are one in their proclamation of the greatest marvel of history: God is among us.
We must go beyond impressions, we must enter into the mystery. The strong, harsh-looking Baptist is the one who will point out the gentle Lamb of God to His disciples and who will proclaim: He that hath the bride, is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, who standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth with joy because of the bridegroom’s voice. This my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease (Cf Jn 3). He himself has become a little lamb, so true it is that the one who manly embraces his calling is given to taste something of the sweetness of the divinity. When we look at history, we find so many men saints who astound us by their accomplishments, but at the same time, were outstanding in their gentle contemplation of Christ. Consider the vigorous St Augustine and the inimitable way He describes the love of God in the soul. Consider the monk St Bernard, the counsellor of popes and kings, who deserved to be called the doctor mellifluus, whose mouth flows with honey, so apparent in almost all his writings. Consider St Ignatius of Loyola, the rough soldier turned religious and priest who, in the Spiritual Exercises, opens up for us a path to contemplate the infinite sweetness of the Divine Majesty.
On the other hand, the gentle Mary is invoked as the Virgo Potens, more formidable than an army set in battle array. Like her, the meek virgin martyrs such as Lucy, Agnes, Cecilia and Regina, stand firm and taunt the tyrants of their day, being faithful to their eternal Spouse even unto the shedding of their virginal blood. So it is that the grace of God makes strong the meek, and gentle the strong, all virtues being united, harmonised and offered for imitation in the Word Incarnate Himself.
As we prepare now to welcome the Infant King, let us ask these saints to inspire us, to not let us miss out on the treasures of grace on offer during these holy days. May it not be said of us that the Lord come knocking at the door of our heart without receiving an immediate, loving, grateful and persevering welcome.
