The Parish Church of St. Matthew, Highfield, Wigan

Will you bring Christ into the World?

They are back once again, the great voices of the Advent liturgy: Isaiah, John the Baptist, and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Isaiah is for us a model of the longing for Christ's coming that should be ours during Advent. John the Baptist is a call to us for repentance and conversion of heart in preparation for Jesus. And Mary, as the model of intimacy with Christ, is beckoning us through Advent to the same intimacy with him.

We are all slightly annoyed when Christmas cards come too soon, when carols are sung too early, when Santa Claus shows up at the shopping centre in early November! But nobody prepared so early and for so long for Christmas as God himself!

Isaiah's prophecies came many centuries earlier; John the Baptist's ministry foretold a future event; and finally came the Annunciation - what is perhaps the most stupendous question and invitation ever uttered to a human being, "Will you bring Christ into the world?" Mary's answer was "Yes" and God's initial step in the shaping of the future home for his Son, the womb of Mary, was completed. Then God waited and watched, and gently the embryonic Christ entered Mary, entered the world, entered our lives.

Each of us is also called to intimacy with Christ. We too were asked, "Will you bring Christ into the world?" by such events as our baptism, confirmation, marriage, religious profession, or ordination, and we too responded, "Yes." Just as the Annunciation was an occasion of awe and great joy for Mary, so were these moments for us. But between our annunciation and the present, there have been for each of us less joyful moments.

After our own annunciation, after we said "Yes, we will bring Christ into the world," haven't there been for each of us moments, days perhaps, when we asked, "Where are you, God?" We took on the burden of bringing Christ into the world, and we came upon days when we wondered if there is a Christ. He seemed so far away. We have known days when we did what he wanted us to do, and we did it when it was hard; and all we wanted in return was a word, a sign from God that he knew, that he cared. We saw the heavy sorrow approaching, we saw perhaps the burden of ill-health coming our way, and we put our shoulder to the cross because we thought he was at the other end. And we came upon days when it seemed he wanted us to carry the cross alone.

In that moment comes the time to remember Isaiah, John and Mary. If we do, we will discover that they have walked in uncertain darkness before us, that they have known our frightening moments. And we will find out, as they did, that God is close. In our days of wonder and loneliness, he is there - just as he has been all along.

My prayer for us all this Christmas is that we too will, like the Advent voices, have the courage and the faith to continue to bring Christ into the world. May the deep peace and the unutterable joy of Jesus fill your hearts and your homes this Christmas.

Bob

Page last modified: 7 December 2003