4th Sunday of Advent (Year B)

Sunday, December 21, 2008
St. Clement’s Catholic Church; Saratoga Springs, NY

2 Samuel 7: 1 – 5, 8b – 12, 14a, 16
Psalm 89: 2 – 3, 4 – 5, 27, 29
Romans 16: 25 – 27
Luke 1: 26 –38

Stories are an important part of our history. Think about what happens often at the end of a day. The family gathers around the dinner table and someone will ask another member of the family how their day was. Sometimes there might be a shrug of the shoulder and other times a member of the family launches into a colorful tale of some event of the day. We tell stories about past holidays and past snow storms. A phrase many of us might use this week will be: “Do you remember when…” and the tale begins. It doesn’t matter if we’ve heard the story one time or a hundred times, we listen intently and even will even help a relative with the details should they omit one or two of them.

This week our Church family once again shares a familiar story. It’s a story that even the youngest amongst us know. The story of a young couple and their travel to a distant town. The story of a young couple that cannot find any room at the inn. A story with angels and shepherds and kings. But the heart of the story begins with the tale we just heard this morning. “Joy to the World” “O Come All Ye Faithful” none of them would ever have been sung if not for the yes by the maid to the angel Gabriel. It is Mary’s affirmative answer that starts our story in motion.

Today we hear a story about a young woman who trusted completely in her God. A young maid who at first was not exactly sure what was happening. Her story is so familiar to us that we can tell it ourselves from memory. As we reflect on this story today try to imagine yourself in the room itself. Imagine what Mary is wearing, what are the sparse furnishings that fill her room. Picture how the angel appeared to her and once again hear the conversation between the two. Hear the angel say: “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you. Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.” And hear Mary’s response of: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.”

This week once again hear anew and picture afresh the story of the birth of Our God in Bethlehem.

We all recall even the secular stories of this time of year. We read or watch the stories about Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer and my favorite of Ebenezer Scrooge and the Three Spirits in Dickens’s Christmas Carol.

One of the most famous secular Christmas stories is a poem that was first published anonymously in the Troy, New York Sentinel on December 23, 1823, and was reprinted frequently thereafter with no name attached. Authorship was later attributed to Clement Clarke Moore and the poem was included in an 1844 anthology of his works. Many of you might read for your children The Night Before Christmas sometime during this week.

As the snow falls outside and the feeling of Christmas comes upon all of us, I would like to share with you an adapted version of that poem that I wrote a number of years ago and revised for here at St. Clement’s.

‘Twas the Fourth Week of Advent, when all through the world
Four candles were lit; purple and pink all a swirled.
The streets now of ‘Toga, had lights here and there
All sensed a good feeling of joy in the air.

The shopping and baking were almost all done,
The cards were all written, it was now time for fun.
I went to St. Clement’s, and took off my cap
And figured I get a good morning’s nap.

I listened to music, to an old Advent tune,
And slowly but surely, I started humming along.
Then came time for the readings, some stories were read;
They sounded familiar, they stuck in my head.

The story of a woman and an angel I heard
When I heard it before, I always thought it absurd.
But now as I listened and the words settled in,
I listened intently, I felt a chill on my skin.

How could this be, our God comes to earth;
A young maid named Mary, was found of great worth.
She must have been frightened, she must have been scared;
And then she realized that this was how much God cared.

“Hail full of grace! The Lord is with you!”
The Angel has spoken; the words they are true!
But how can this be, since she still was not wed
“God’s spirit is with you” the Angel has said.

She trusted the words, her heart filled with joy;
She was blessed by the Lord; she would give birth to his boy.
A son she would bear, to bring peace to the earth
He would show by his life, that each person has worth.

I started to doze, the story started to fade;
And I felt a sense of peace, I was no longer afraid.
This story is true and it’s why each December
We gather together, to reflect and remember.

We remember the reason for shopping and baking;
We recall the reason for all this picture taking.
It’s because of a woman who said yes to the Lord
It’s because of a baby, that our lives are restored.

I must take this feeling of God’s love in my heart
To every place on the earth; yes, even Wal-Mart!
For the babe born of Mary, in a stable years ago
Still lives on the earth, he wants me to show.

The peace of the season, the joy of the year
Should stay with us always, there is nothing to fear.
God leapt down from heaven, we celebrate his birth
And we should bring it to ‘Toga, to each person on earth.

I’ll go forth today with a song raised on high;
I’ll let my soul soar, it will go to the sky!
For the angels still sing, they are with us today
I will go forth this morning and Prepare God his way!

His way into my heart, and your heart there too
He came down from heaven, believe me, its true!
Celebrate his birth, remember his love;
It’s still with us today, it comes from above.

I love these Christmas stories, I love this time of year’
I’m happy that the Maid said Yes; I’m happy our God is so near.
As the Fourth Week of Advent, turns soon to Christmas Eve
Look at the Babe in the Manager and you too will believe.