Full Of Grace

Fourth Sunday of Advent
21 December 2008


Come, let us worship the Lord, for he is already close at hand.

First reading 2 Samuel 7:1-5,8-11,16
Once David had settled into his house and the Lord had given him rest from all the enemies surrounding him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, ‘Look, I am living in a house of cedar while the ark of God dwells in a tent.’ Nathan said to the king, ‘Go and do all that is in your mind, for the Lord is with you.’

But that very night the word of the Lord came to Nathan:
‘Go and tell my servant David, “Thus the Lord speaks: Are you the man to build me a house to dwell in? I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader of my people Israel; I have been with you on all your expeditions; I have cut off all your enemies before you. I will give you fame as great as the fame of the greatest on earth. I will provide a place for my people Israel; I will plant them there and they shall dwell in that place and never be disturbed again; nor shall the wicked continue to oppress them as they did, in the days when I appointed judges over my people Israel; I will give them rest from all their enemies. The Lord will make you great; the Lord will make you a House. Your House and your sovereignty will always stand secure before me and your throne be established for ever.”’

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 88:2-5,27,29

Second reading Romans 16:25-27
Glory to him who is able to give you the strength to live according to the Good News I preach, and in which I proclaim Jesus Christ, the revelation of a mystery kept secret for endless ages, but now so clear that it must be broadcast to pagans everywhere to bring them to the obedience of faith. This is only what scripture has predicted, and it is all part of the way the eternal God wants things to be. He alone is wisdom; give glory therefore to him through Jesus Christ for ever and ever. Amen.

Gospel Luke 1:26-38
The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. He went in and said to her, ‘Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.’ She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?’ ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you’ the angel answered ‘and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in her old age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God’ ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord,’ said Mary ‘let what you have said be done to me.’ And the angel left her.

Reflections
By Grace Madrinan

When I was young, I used to dislike my name. Aside from it being too ordinary, I was also intimidated of what I thought it meant. People expect me to be ‘graceful’ and lady-like, but I act boyish, awkward in girl’s clothes and clumsy at times. But growing more into the Catholic faith, I have embraced its true meaning. I feel so much pride now hearing it so frequently during the mass or when uttered in prayer.

In today’s Gospel, the angel Gabriel visited Mary, and his words started with the greeting, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you”. Mary, our Blessed Mother, is found full of grace not because of external appearances, but because God found her spotless and worthy of praise -- worthy enough to be the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Grace therefore has more meaning if we consider it as that given by God. Often, we associate it with superficial things like food in our table, our financial status or our good fortune. Come to think of it, everything that we have is given by grace. We need to acknowledge God’s presence in the grace we receive or experience each day. Mary knew this truth, which is why she did not even hesitate to abide to the will of God for her.






Father, everything that we have is given by grace. Like Mary, may we also have the same grace to accept Your will for us. Amen.