""How can this be?"

Fourth Sunday of Advent
Lectionary: 11

Ir-4 Ħadd ta' l-Avvent Sena 'B'

Messalin B pp 91

 

Reading 1                                                                                                                                                 2 SaMuel 7:1-5, 8B-12, 14A, 16

When King David was settled in his palace, and the LORD had given him rest from his enemies on every side, he said to Nathan the prophet, "Here I am living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God dwells in a tent!" Nathan answered the king, "Go, do whatever you have in mind, for the LORD is with you." But that night the LORD spoke to Nathan and said: "Go, tell my servant David, 'Thus says the LORD: Should you build me a house to dwell in?' "It was I who took you from the pasture and from the care of the flock  to be commander of my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you went,
and I have destroyed all your enemies before you. And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth. I will fix a place for my people Israel; I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place without further disturbance. Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old, since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel. I will give you rest from all your enemies. The LORD also reveals to you that he will establish a house for you. And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins, and I will make his kingdom firm. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever."  This is the Word of The Lord.

L-Ewwel Lezzjoni

Qari mill-Tieni Ktieb ta' Samwel 7, 1-5, 8b-12. 14a,16

Meta s-Sultan David mar joqgħod f'daru u  l-Mulej serrħu mill-għedewwa kollha ta' madwaru, is-sultan qal lil Natan il-profeta:  "Issa, ara jien qiegħed f'dar taċ-ċedru, u l-arka ta' Alla qiegħda 'nofs ta' tinda!"   U qal Natan lis-sultan: "Kull ma għandek fi ħsiebek li tagħmel, mur agħmlu għax il-Mulej miegħek." Imma dak il-lejl stess ġiet il-kelma tal-Mulej lil Natan u qallu:  "Mur għid lill-qaddej tiegħi David: "Dan jgħid il-Mulej:  Se tibnili int dar biex noqgħod fiha? Ara, jiena ħadtek mill-mergħat minn wara l-imrieħel biex tkun prinċep fuq il-poplu tiegħi Iżrael. Dejjem kont miegħek f'kull ma kont tidħol għalih; u meta int qridt l-għedewwa tiegħek kollha minn quddiemek.   Issa jiena nibnilek isem kbir jixbah l-ismijiet  il-kbar li hawn fid-dinja. Nagħmel post għall-poplu tiegħi Iżrael, u nqiegħdu hemm fejn jgħammar bla biża'.u ma jgħakksuhx iżjed il-ħżiena bħalma għamlu sa minn dejjem, jiġifieri sa minn meta qajjimt l-imħallfin fuq il-poplu tiegħi  Iżrael; u nserrħek mill-għedewwa tiegħek kollha. Lilek imbagħad il-Mulej jagħtik kelma li jibnlek dar. U meta inti ttemm żmienek, u tkun striħajt ma' missirijietek,  jiena nqajjem nislek warajk, nisel ħiereġ mill-ġewwieni tiegħek, u nsaħħaħ is-saltna tiegħu.   Jiena nkun għalih missier, u hu jkun għalija iben. Il-familja tiegħek u s-saltna tiegħek jibqgħu sħaħ għal dejjem quddiemi.   It-tron tiegħek jibqa' sħiħ għal dejjem. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm                                                                                                              PSalm 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29

The promises of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, "My kindness is established forever";
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

"I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant:
Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations."
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

"He shall say of me, 'You are my father,
my God, the Rock, my saviour.'
Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,
and my covenant with him stands firm."
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

Salm Responsorjali                                                                                  

Salm 89

           

F'kull żmien ixandar fommi l-fedelta' tiegħek.

Għax jien għedt:

"Tjubitek tibqa' sħiħa għal dejjem;

bħas-smewwiet int wettaqt il-fedelta' tiegħek."           R/

R/   It-tjieba tal-Mulej irrid dejjem ngħanni.

"Għamilt patt mal-magħżul tiegħi,

ħlift lil David, il-qaddej tiegħi:

Jien nagħmel li nislek jibqa' għal dejjem,

li f'kull żmien jibqa' sħiħ it-tron tiegħek.!                      R/

R/   It-tjieba tal-Mulej irrid dejjem ngħanni.

"Hu jsejjaħli:  "Int missieri

u Alla tiegħi, fortizza u salvazzjoni tiegħi!"

It-tjieba tiegħi nżommha fuqu għal dejjem,

u l-patt tiegħi miegħu jibqa' sħiħ."                               R/

R/   It-tjieba tal-Mulej irrid dejjem ngħanni.

Reading 2                                                                                                                                                  ROMans 16:25-27

Brothers and sisters: To him who can strengthen you, according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages but now manifested through the prophetic writings and, according to the command of the eternal God, made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith, to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ be glory forever and ever. Amen. This is the Word of The Lord.

It-Tieni Lezzjoni

Qari mill-Ittra lir-Rumani 16, 25-27

Ħuti, lil Alla li għandu l-qawwa li jwettaqtkom fl-Evanġelu li nħabbar jien, jien  u nxandar lil Ġesu' Kristu, skont ir-rivelazzjoni tal-misteru, li kien moħbi fis-skiet tal-eternita'; lil dan li Alla issa  rrivelalna dan il-mistieru, u għarrfu lill-ġnus bil-kitba tal-Profeti, skont l-ordni tiegħu, Alla ta'  dejjem, biex iwassalhom għall-ubbidjenza tal-fidi; lil dan Alla, waħdu fl-għerf, il-glorja għal dejjem ta' dejjem b'Ġesu' Kristu.   Ammen. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel                                                                                                                                                  LuKe 1:26-38

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. And coming to her, he said, "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you." But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, "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. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" And the angel said to her in reply, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God." Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her. This is the Word of The Lord.

L-Evanġelju

Qari skont San Luqa 1, 26-28

F'dak iż-żmien, Alla bagħat l-anġlu Gabrijel f'belt tal-Galilija,  jisimha Nazaret, għand xebba, mgħarrsa  ma' raġel jismu Ġużeppi  mid-dar ta' David.  Dix-xebba kien jisimha Marija.  L-anglu daħal  għandha u qalilha:  "Sliem għalik, mimlija  bil-grazzja, il-Mulej miegħek." Hi tħawdet ħafna għal dan il-kliem, u bdiet taħseb bejnha u bejn  ruħha x'setgħet qatt tfisser din it-tislima.    Iżda l-anġlu qalilha: "Tibżax, Marija, għax int sibt grazzja quddiem Alla.   Ara, int se tnissel fil-ġuf u jkollok iben u ssemmieh Ġesu'.   Hu jkun kbir, u  jkun jissejjaħ Bin l-Għoli.  Il-Mulej Alla jagħtih it-tron ta' David missieru,  u jsaltan għal dejjem fuq dar Ġakobb, u ma jkunx hemm tmiem għas-saltna tiegħu." Iżda Marija qalet lill-anġlu:  "Kif ikun dan, ladarba ma  nagħrafx raġel?" Wieġeb l-anġlu u qalilha:   "L-Ispirtu s-Santu jiġi fuqek, u l-qawwa ta' l-Għoli  tixħet id-dell  tagħha fuqkem.  U għalhekk dak li jitwieled minnek ikun qaddis, u  jissejjaħ Bin Alla.   Ara, l-qariba tiegħek Eliżabetta, fi xjuħitha, hi ukoll nisslet iben fil-ġuf, u ġa għandha sitt xhur dik li għaliha kienu jgħidu li ma jistax ikollha tfal, għax għal Alla ma hemm xejn li ma jistax isir." Imbagħad qalet Marija:  Ara, jien il-qaddejja  tal-Mulej:  ħa jsir minni skont kelmmtek!" U l-anġlu telaq minn quddiemha. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Commentary:

How Do We Solve a Problem Like Maria?

Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB

"The Sound of Music" stage play and I are the same age -- both from that vintage year of 1959 -- and the film version was the first "motion picture" I saw as child in the mid 1960's with my family. God alone knows how many times I have seen it since on stage, at the theater and on television! In 2008, the Rodgers and Hammerstein famed musical "The Sound of Music" was still delighting audiences, even in Toronto's Princess of Wales Theatre in the downtown theater district. The city was "alive" with the sound of music.

Solving the problem of Maria von Trapp

One of the memorable songs of the play is "Maria," sometimes known as "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?" It is sung brilliantly by Sister Berthe, Sister Sophia, Sister Margaretta and the Mother Abbess at the Benedictine Nonnberg Abbey in Salzburg, Austria. The nuns are exasperated with Maria for being too frivolous, flighty and frolicsome for the decorous and austere life at the abbey. It is said that when Oscar Hammerstein II wrote the lyrics for this song, he was taken by the detail of her wearing curlers in her hair under her wimple!

When older Austrians in Salzburg speak of Maria, it is the "Gottesmutter," the Mother of the Lord! When the foreigners, especially North Americans, arrive in Salzburg and speak about Maria, it is usually the other one: Maria Augusta Kutschera, later Maria Augusta von Trapp, who was a teacher in the abbey school after World War I and whose life was the basis for the film "The Sound of Music."

Because of this Maria, the abbey acquired international fame, to the consternation of some of the sisters! Having visited Nonnberg Abbey on several occasions while I was studying German in nearby Bavaria, I spoke with a few of the elderly sisters about the impact of "The Sound of Music" on their life. The prioress told me that they have no plaques up about Maria von Trapp and her escapades at the abbey nor in Salzburg! One elderly sister said to me, with a smile, "Das ist nur Hollywood!" (That is only Hollywood!)

Solving the problem of Maria von Nazareth

The Gospel story of the Annunciation presents another Maria, the great heroine of the Christmas stories -- Mary of Nazareth -- the willing link between humanity and God. She is the disciple par excellence who introduces us to the goodness and humanity of God. She received and welcomed God's word in the fullest sense, not knowing how the story would finally end. She did not always understand that word throughout Jesus' life but she trusted and constantly recaptured the initial response she had given the angel and literally "kept it alive," "tossed it around," "pondered it" in her heart (Luke 2:19). At Calvary she experienced the full responsibility of her "yes." We have discovered in the few Scripture passages relating to her that she was a woman of deep faith, compassion, and she was very attentive to the needs of others.

Maria von Trapp followed the captain and his little musical family through the Alpine mountain passes of Austria, fleeing a neo-pagan, evil regime that tried to deny the existence of God and God's chosen people. Some would say that they lived happily ever after in Vermont in the United States, and that their musical reputation lives on through the stage production enchanting Toronto audiences at present. The hills are still alive with their music!

The "problem" of Maria of Nazareth began when she entertained a strange, heavenly visitor named Gabriel. The young woman of Nazareth was greatly troubled as she discovered that she would bear a son who would be Savior and Son of the Most High.

"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God." "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." The angel left her and then the music began: "Magnificat anima mea Dominum." It would become a refrain filling the world with the sound of its powerful music down through the ages.

The message Mary received catapulted her on a trajectory far beyond tiny, sleepy Nazareth and that little strip of land called Israel and Palestine in the Middle East. Mary's "yes" would impact the entire world, and change human history.

Problem solved

Mary of Nazareth accepted her "problem" and resolved it through her obedience, fidelity, trust, hope and quiet joy. At that first moment in Nazareth, she could not foresee the brutal ending of the story of this child within her. Only on a hillside in Calvary, years later, would she experience the full responsibility of her "yes" that forever changed the history of humanity.

If there are no plaques commemorating Maria von Trapp's encounter with destiny at Nonnberg Abbey, there is one small plaque commemorating Mary of Nazareth's life-changing meeting in her hometown. Standing in the middle of the present day city of Nazareth in Galilee is the mammoth basilica of the Annunciation, built around what is believed to be the cave and dwelling of Mary. A small inscription is found on the altar in this grotto-like room that commemorates the place where Mary received the message from the angel Gabriel that she would "conceive and bear a son and give him the name Jesus" (Luke 1:31). The Latin inscription reads "Verbum caro hic factum est" (Here the word became flesh).

I can still remember the sensation I had when I knelt before that altar for the first time in 1988. That inscription in the grotto of the Annunciation is profound, otherworldly, earth shaking, life changing, dizzying and awesome. The words "Verbum caro hic factum est" are not found on an ex-voto plaque in the cave of the Nativity in Bethlehem, nor engraved on the outer walls of the Temple ruins or on governmental tourist offices in Jerusalem. They are affixed to an altar deep within the imposing structure of Nazareth's centerpiece of the Annunciation. "This is where the word became flesh." This is where history was changed because Mary said "yes."

Could such words be applied to our own lives, to our families, communities, and churches -- "Here the word becomes flesh"? Do we know how to listen to God's Word, meditate upon it and live it each day? Do we put that word into action in our daily lives? Are we faithful, hopeful, loving, and inviting in our discourse and living? What powerful words to be said about Christians -- that their words become flesh!

However beautiful and catchy are the tunes of Maria of Salzburg, the music of the other Maria, the one from Nazareth, surpasses anything I have ever heard.

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