by Fr. Tommy Lane
We heard in the Gospel (Luke 1:26-38) how Advent began for Our Lady. For Our Lady, Advent began with the visit of the angel Gabriel asking her to become the mother of Jesus. Our Lady consented: “Be it done to me according to your word.” It was a nine-month Advent. What love she had for Jesus as she bore him for those nine months. The preface to the Eucharistic Prayer during this last week before Christmas every year says, “The Virgin Mother longed for him with love beyond all telling.”
It was that “love beyond all telling” that helped Our Lady endure the difficult moments of being the mother of Jesus. No one would believe how she became the mother of Jesus. Even Joseph also had to receive a visit from the angel Gabriel to help him believe (Matt 1:18-24). The circumstances of the birth were the worst: an animals’ shelter. Mary and Joseph were like homeless refugees.
Forty days after Jesus’ birth, Mary and Joseph presented him in the temple (Luke 2:22-38). In the Jewish world, the first son belonged to God (Exod 13:1-2) but was bought back by the parents paying five shekels to God on the fortieth day (Exod 13:11-16; Num 18:15-16). But Luke does not tell us Mary and Joseph paid the five shekels to buy back Jesus—when they brought Jesus to the temple, they handed him over completely to the Father. They would raise Jesus, but Jesus belonged to the Father. Jesus sacrificed himself to the Father on the cross on our behalf but already at forty days Mary and Joseph handed him over to God, in a sense, sacrificed him to the Father on our behalf. Mary and Joseph saw the consequences of Jesus belonging completely to the Father when he was twelve years old and remained behind in the temple when they brought him for his first visit. He said to them, “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house.” (Luke 2:49)
Mary stood beneath Jesus’ cross (John 19:25). We remember it on Good Friday in the popular hymn, Stabat Mater, which means “the mother was standing.” As Mary stood beneath the cross, we can imagine her renewing in a very powerful way the “sacrifice,” so to speak, that she made of Jesus when he was forty days old. She was always united with Jesus’ mission and when Jesus was on the cross, we can imagine she joined in offering Jesus to the Father on our behalf for our salvation. She was not standing there being sorrowful but joining in Jesus’ offering of himself to the Father for us.
Our Lady did this for us. She raised Jesus and offered Jesus to the Father for our salvation. She is truly our spiritual mother. Officially she was given the role of our spiritual mother by Jesus on the cross when he said to her, “Woman, behold your son.” (John 19:26) But from the moment she consented to become the mother of Jesus in the Gospel today, she was already our spiritual mother because whatever she did for Jesus, she did for us. She is your Mother, and always concerned about your wellbeing. If you have not already taken Our Lady as your spiritual mother, take her now as your spiritual mother. She carried Jesus in her womb for nine months and she wants to carry us to heaven. St. John Vianney said, “Only after the last judgment will Mary get any rest; from now until then, she is much too busy with her children.” (Mirjana Soldo My Heart Will Triumph p201) Be sure to make Our Lady part of every day by giving part of every day to her. She is not resting but busy with you. She carried Jesus in her womb for nine months and she wants to carry you to heaven.
© Fr. Tommy Lane 2023
This homily was delivered in a parish in Ireland.
More Homilies for the Fourth Sunday of Advent Year B
God is faithful to his promises whatever happens 2020
Jesus came because Mary surrendered to God and said “Yes”
Saying “Yes” to Jesus’ invitation to allow him into our lives
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