Talk 3 | Holy Angels Catholic Church – 40 Hours and Advent Mission
The central figures of any Christmas nativity scene are surely Mary and Joseph gathered around the baby Jesus lying in the manger. To conclude these 40 hours, we consider today the two figures that were most prepared to receive Jesus.
Joseph is described as a “righteous man” and had been preparing his whole life to be the one God would place over his family. Joseph did not know this would be his role, but he lived in a way so as to be ready when God called him. In accepting God’s plan as revealed by the angel, Joseph sacrificed his own reputation and plans and put God first. He also put his wife and child first in a witness of self-sacrificing love. We could use more men like this.
Mary is the greatest human being ever created by God. Jesus literally got to create his own mother. And he made her perfect. She was prepared from the first moment of her conception to be the Mother of God. Yet all of creation waited in expectation for her answer to the angel Gabriel. Despite being prepared, she was also free. She could have said no to God’s plan. Thanks be to God that she said yes. She humbled herself and said simply “Let it be” and the salvation of the world was conceived. If we want to be prepared to receive Jesus, we can do no better than to imitate Mary.
Our nativity scenes are normally completed at Christmas Mass with the placing of the statue of the Christ child in the manger. We have contemplated the figures of this familiar scene over the last 40 hours. Jesus is surrounded by people who were ready to receive him and did not miss his coming. However, in every Catholic church, something greater than happened on that first Christmas is present. The “real presence” of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist is waiting. Will we be at least as smart as the ox and ass, as joyful as the shepherds, as curious as the magi, as sacrificing as Joseph, and as humble as Mary, to make haste to the Bethlehem hidden in our churches. The Most Holy Eucharist is truly Emmanuel, God with us. Come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.