Fourth Sunday of Advent

We have arrived at the Fourth Sunday of Advent and thankfully we get to enjoy the full week since Christmas is next Sunday. As I was talking to my spiritual director about my Advent thus far and what I would still like to do, he said very simply, "You still have next week." Yes, we have one more week to go, but always remember, our time of preparation does not end when Advent does. We are still preparing ourselves for the second coming of Christ. The gospel for this weekend, Luke 1:26-38, prepares us for the first coming of Christ which we will celebrate next Sunday. The gospel is the Annunciation and the great news that Mary has found favor with God and she is to be the mother of God's only Son. There are several moments in this gospel that are important for our journey now. One moment is the initial greeting of the angel Gabriel and Mary was troubled by his words but he says, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God." Our Lord will use that phrase as well, "Do not be afraid." In our present day, Blessed John Paul II proclaimed that message to the world, "Do not be afraid." Those words need to calm our worries and our fears. God is always with us so why be afraid? Another moment is that after the message of how the child will be conceived, Gabriel tells Mary that her kinswoman Elizabeth is also expecting. How can this all be? As Gabriel says, "For nothing will be impossible for God." We know that, with God all things are possible, He is in control. The final moment is Mary's response, her "YES" to following the will of God in her life. She did question but in the end her total faith and trust in God allowed her positive response. That is an example for all of us! We need to have a firm faith and trust in God. That faith and trust will help us to not be afraid, to know that all things are possible with God, and to live His will each day of our lives. A beautiful reminder for all of us as our journey to the kingdom continues! Have a blessed weekend!!!