Tuesday, December 20, 2022
(click here to listen to or read today’s scriptures)
Welcome, please come in
The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary.
Gabriel’s directions didn’t involve streets and houses as much as his ability to hear God’s voice. He found Mary because God knew exactly where she was, no “Find Me” or Google maps location sharing necessary. Gabriel appeared inside Mary’s house, inside her own room. He spoke politely but clearly, and he got straight to the point.
Coming to her Gabriel spoke. “Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you!”
No mention of anyone else in the room, just Mary. And Gabriel. And the Lord. She had no chance, this time, to be hospitable. Gabriel brought her a revelation, and it only remained for her to either accept or reject it.
She chose to accept.
Mary said to Gabriel, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done unto me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
Unless they knew her, the people seeing Mary for the first time would not recognize the Mother of God (theotokos in Greek). And God did not provide her with special Godmother robes for Jesus’ birth. Dorothy Day points that out:
If Mary had appeared in Bethlehem clothed, as Saint John says, with the sun, a crown of twelve stars on her head, and the moon under her feet, then people would have fought to make room for her. But that was not God’s way for her. – Source: WATCH FOR THE LIGHT, entry for December 19
When will I get it through my head that everyone I meet IS Christ? I get caught in the externals, trapped in the trappings, and miss Christ time after time. After all, the Father didn’t provide Jesus with special robes either:
Nor is it Christ’s way for himself, now when he is disguised under every type of humanity that treads the earth.
In the Trader Joe’s parking lot we opened our car doors and heard the loud sound of a European market. Someone played an accordion through a loud speaker, and immediately the drizzle seemed to disappear. Miles and Jasper hopped out of their car seats, Margaret and I found our way into the store, and when we were finished the accordion still sang. I was filled with joy.
Back at our car we got some money out of our glove compartment and headed back to give it to the musician. He was putting his equipment back into his filled-to-the-brim car. I thought maybe he lived in his car. He turned to us and smiled, a gold tooth in the center of his mouth. “Thank you, and happy Christmas,” he said with a difficult, eastern European accent.
This man’s music spoke of who he was, and of Christ within him. How would we have known? Dorothy Day could not know either:
If everyone were holy and handsome, with “alter Christus” shining in neon lighting from them, it would be easy to see Christ in everyone.
No, she says, “he is disguised under every type of humanity that treads the earth.” Christ is everywhere, and we did not have to live two thousand years ago to care for him, to share meals with him, to provide a place for him to sleep. Because, as he said so clearly to all of us,
Whatever you do for the least of those around you, you do for me.
(posted at www.davesandel.net)
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