Son and Mother

The Twentieth Day of December A-1

Entrance Antiphon Cf. Is 11: 1; 40: 5; Lk 3: 6 A branch shall sprout from the root of Jesse, and the glory of the Lord will fill the whole earth, and all flesh will see the salvation of God.

Collect O God, eternal majesty, whose ineffable Word the immaculate Virgin received through the message of an Angel and so became the dwelling‑place of divinity, filled with the light of the Holy Spirit, grant, we pray, that by her example we may in humility hold fast to your will. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

(December 20) St. Dominic of Silos (c. 1000-1073) It’s not the founder of the Dominicans we honour today, but there’s a poignant story that connects one Dominic with the other. Our saint today, Dominic of Silos was born in Spain around the year 1000 into a peasant family. As a young boy he spent time in the fields, where he welcomed the solitude. He became a Benedictine priest and served in numerous leadership positions. Following a dispute with the king over property, Dominic and two other monks were exiled. They established a new monastery in what at first seemed an unpromising location. Under Dominic’s leadership, however, it became one of the most famous houses in Spain. Many healings were reported there. About 100 years after Dominic’s death, a young woman made a pilgrimage to his tomb. There Dominic of Silos appeared to her and assured her that she would bear another son. The woman was Joan of Aza, and the son she bore grew up to be the "other" Dominic—the one who founded the Dominicans. For many years thereafter, the staff used by St. Dominic of Silos was brought to the royal palace whenever a queen of Spain was in labour. The practice ended in 1931.

Scripture today: Isaiah 7:10-14; Psalm 24:1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6; Luke 1:26-38

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel having arrived said to her, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!” On hearing this Mary was troubled and asked herself what manner of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Fear not, Mary, for you have found favour with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a son, and you will call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the most High. The Lord God will give to him the throne of David his father, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever. Of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How will this be done, because I know not man?” The angel answering said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the most High will overshadow you. Therefore the Holy One born of you will be called the Son of God. And behold your cousin Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month with her who has been called barren. For nothing is impossible with God.” Mary said, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:26-38)

Son and Mother Our Gospel passage today contains precious and splendid words addressed to Mary by the Angel Gabriel about the Child she is to bear. The angel was none other than Gabriel, whom Mary would have reverenced from her reading of the Old Testament (eg., Daniel 9). As we think of the Angel’s words uttered with such love and veneration, let us think of Christ about whom they are spoken. Gabriel had come to inform Mary of God’s plan, and on behalf of the Lord God to ask her consent. She was to bear a Son and his name was already given to him by the Most High. This Child will be great. Let us notice that there is no qualification to this word. He is not stated as being great in the sight of the Lord (as was John the Baptist), but as simply great — independent and irrespective of any view of him. Indeed, he is the very Son of the Highest One. The angel then makes it clear that this Child is the promised Messiah to whom will be given the throne of David for ever. His Kingdom will be eternal. This is the promised King and his Kingdom is the promised Kingdom of God. He is to be conceived of Mary the Virgin by the power of the Holy Spirit and will therefore be holy. Twice the angel states that he is God’s Son — the Son of the Most High, and again, the Son of God. There is nothing like it in all the Scriptures. What personage had received such a description of him prior to his birth, a description coming from heaven itself? There was no precedent, no equal to him in the entire sweep of the Scriptures. He transcended all who went before him. The Child is unqualifiedly great, simply holy and is the Son of God, the Son of the Highest One. The Most High is his very Father. The Holy Spirit is directly involved too, for it is the Holy Spirit who overshadows with his power the Virgin, and brings about the conception of this eternal King. The Angel’s pronouncement about the child reveals that the child is divine and implies that God is a Trinity. Mary would have contemplated for the rest of her holy life the stunning words of the Angel, realizing more and more deeply their significance.

But the words of the Angel and Mary’s response to them suggest things about her too. If the whole passage bespeaks veneration for, and praise of this holy Child who is the Messiah and Son of God, then it also manifests veneration for the Virgin herself. The Angel addresses her with the utmost honour. She is greeted as the one who is full of God’s grace (Luke 1:26‑38). Considering the constant restraint and moderation with which God and his Angels speak to their chosen ones in the Old Testament, this salutation of the Angel is most noteworthy. He speaks briefly but fulsomely, showing deep respect for the maiden before him. As one who himself is holy, as one who lives in the presence of the Holy One, as one who comes from heaven wherein dwell the angels, he gives her unstinting praise. She is full of grace and the Lord is with her. We have in those words the germ of the future doctrines of the Immaculate Conception of the sinless Virgin and her Assumption, body and soul, into heaven. She is full of grace and the Lord is with her, and this is the case from the first moment of her conception to the moment of her death. Never did sin touch her, and this by the power of grace and her unfailing cooperation with the will of God. These prerogatives of grace were clearly bestowed on her in view of her unique vocation of being the mother of the Messiah, the Son of the Most High God. But her greatest glory was her unceasing acceptance of, and obedience to, the will of God. Once she knew what God wished, she accepted it totally. Her simple words say it all: “Be it done unto me according to your word.” That was the refrain of her holy life, and I suppose these very words were repeated by her in her heart time and time again as the salvific plan of God gradually unfolded, with all its demanding surprises. This was what the wondrous Child saw daily during those hidden years of Nazareth and which he praised when he had occasion to say that “blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it.”

As we think of the Angel addressing and venerating both the Child Jesus and Mary his virginal mother, let us take our cue from this messenger from heaven and resolve ourselves to venerate Jesus and Mary. Jesus is the object of the Christian life. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Mary is our help, the help of Christians in their quest to love Christ with all their heart and soul. Let us venerate and love her as did the Angel, and ask her to help us be a true servant of the Lord as was she.

(E.J.Tyler)

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