4th Sunday of Advent 22 December 2024 Salvation mediated
God could have come as an adult and saved Himself a lot of trouble. But He wanted to experience being human, not taking convenient short cuts. He shows his desire to enter our world and live our life, only in His case to do that in a perfect human nature.
He took a longer route (infancy, childhood) to teach us that we should participate in our own salvation. He could have just sent a message from Heaven, telling us we are all pardoned, all forgiven.
Sometimes people get a quick clearance – e.g. the Good Thief - but for most people the process of being saved has not been quick.
Participating in our own salvation means we are aware of what is happening and cooperating with whatever God asks of us. We learn on the job, we could say.
As the Church, and as individual disciples, we learn to recognise God's ways. If we cannot understand them fully, we can at least grasp the general idea and learn to recognize and accept God's holy will.
God wants to save us in such a way that we be people who live to the full potential of our human nature, now redeemed and sanctified in Christ.
Salvation is not just ‘going to Heaven’ as though we move from one place to another.
It is to be set free from sin - the guilt of sin, the hold it has on us, and the damage it does.
At the same time, our relationship with God is restored and enriched.
When we realize what God is trying to do, we realize why He took the longer way to save us. He was preparing us and getting us to ‘prepare the way for Him.’ A lot of careful thought has to go into the process of salvation. It is not a simple matter; there are many things which need attention.
Those who lose patience with God are not going to see the subtle points. They want miracles and right now. They do not see their own disorder nor think they need any particular help.
God is not a fast-food delivery service. He is more like a gardener, digging here and probing there, and giving all the right nutrients. He changes us within, pulling out all the bad bits and giving instead the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Ga 5,22-23).
Mary had this perfect understanding of what God was doing. She did not understand everything but was so attuned to His will that she cooperated fully.
We re-live the Annunciation as being closely connected with Christmas. Without Mary’s consent we would have no Saviour.
We re-live the Visitation whereby she foreshadows the evangelisation of the whole world, bearing the Saviour to us. Notice the mediating role. This is what God wants from us all, that we give and receive from each other the essential Gospel.
God works through anyone who will let Him. The more we love the more He entrusts to us, and then become able to give more still. Even in Heaven we can increase our love for God, as our capacity for love increases.
Most times it is not something great required, just getting the little things right.
Imitating Mary we are open to whatever God might ask, and we do it without complaint.
We give Him our best, the best lamb from the flock.
And we encourage each other to go further, not stopping too soon, as many people do.
Come, O come Emmanuel, dwell in us in a way that requires and rewards our participation.
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