Fourth Sunday of Advent – Year B – December 20, 2020 The Annunciation of Christ’s birth: The greatest message of all time; the simplest delivery Readings: 2 Samuel 7: 1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16 / Psalm 89 / Romans 16: 25-27 / Luke 1: 26-38
What holds sway or is more important, the medium or the message, what you proclaim or how you proclaim it? While that appears to be a question relating to mass communications, it also has significance for our faith and understanding of God’s will. The question might call forth a tension, but one with much creative potential.
The reading from the Gospel according to Luke given for today is a familiar scene, the Annunciation. The archangel Gabriel has been tasked to give the greatest news of all time to humanity, a message of history-changing significance. The Annunciation is an earthly encounter between two beings, the archangel Gabriel and a young woman, Mary. One is angelic and the other, human.
While it is the message that brings forth a major shift in the life of Mary and all of humanity, the method and means of delivery are also worthy of note. The message is of great power and import, but the manner of giving it is quite personal and intimate. No great show of force is given to reinforce the content of what is announced. No royal majesty is shown to highlight the richness and rank of the announced news. All forms of outward power are rejected. Even though Gabriel is an archangel and a heavenly messenger of the highest order, his method of giving the message relied on discretion and quiet. He preferred simplicity and a small, humble setting.
One can say the reason is due to God not wanting anything to distract from the centrality and importance of his message, the plan of Salvation through the birth of Jesus Christ. That certainly is more than appropriate. However, the delivery of God’s message and the setting both speak of the most fruitful manner of communication: Intimate, respectful dialogue in place of grand announcements with fanfare and spectacle. God, through his messenger Gabriel, chose encounter instead of imposition.
As a result of this encounter between heaven and earth, the Virgin Mary becomes the messenger and bearer of the Savior, which demonstrates clearly that God’s choice of her was meant to give a message. The Almighty chose a faithful daughter of Israel of simple and poor upbringing to be the mother of his Son, not a woman of wealth and power or from an earthly royal family.
God preferred to present his plan to someone who would lovingly accept it. Such an initiative is meant to teach us volumes on the truth of God’s power and how he wishes to share it. That is part of the message and it is how God makes it known.
In times like ours, the messages we receive in our society are often mixed and long on superficial presentation and short on meaningful content. In addition, their effects can be violent and divisive, while the message of Christ calls people to follow the path towards union and reconciliation. The goals of mass communication are to win over the masses and influence them. The message of salvation is the expression of God’ s love for humanity and a reinforcement of our human dignity. In the eyes of the world, the Annunciation might seem to be an ineffective manner of communication. God’s love and the message of salvation given by and in Christ are universal and destined and given to all creatures, but not as mass communication or influence. Rather, God speaks to the heart of each and every person and recognizes his image in the depths of our being. All people receive his love; all people are welcome to his message. All are equally capable of receiving Christ, but one must be willing to love in order to receive him, who is love in person.
Today’s reading and all of Christmas sum up both the message and the means and manner of giving it: Love, both simple and eternal, promised and delivered. The Annunciation is the announcement of a great message: God’s promise of salvation and eternal love; the Nativity of the child Jesus is the message becoming fully human and fully alive.
May the remaining days of Advent and the birth of the Christ-child provide you ample opportunities for receiving the Lord’s offer of salvation and appreciating his manner of communicating such a beautiful and unconditional message.