“Today, for our sake, the King of Heaven chose to be born of His Virgin Mother, to reclaim lost men for the Heavenly Kingdom. All the angels cry aloud with joy, for God has come Himself to save mankind. Glory to God in the highest, and peace to His people on earth.” (Breviary, Vol 1, p.404)
Of all the ways God could have revealed His Only Begotten Son to us, the Father chose that His Son would come to us through the Ever-Virgin Mary. If God comes to us through the Immaculata, it is because it is the most fitting and perfect way. As such, it makes sense that we too should follow His example and go to Him journeying the same path, which is the surest, easiest, shortest, and most perfect way to union with Christ.
St. Paul, in his letter to the Romans, encourages the faithful to rejoice in the Lord, always. This means we rejoice in the Lord even when we are struggling to cooperate with God’s grace. We rejoice even when we experience difficulty in making straight crooked paths. We rejoice even in we face the truth of our sinfulness. We rejoice even when we fall short of realizing our call and purpose. We rejoice not in the sin and weakness, but because His mercy endures forever, because the Lord will never allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear, because where sin and weakness abound, His grace abounds all the more.
It is worth noting that St. Luke provides specific details as to political and religious climate of the period. Our Saviour – God, really and truly enters into our human history in flesh and blood, at a very concrete moment in time. This same Lord desires to dwell with each of us, to be really, truly, intimately, and personally united with you and me, without exception. Only He can bring the mountains low, fill the valleys, and make crooked paths straight.
With all the premature hustle and bustle of businesses, media, entertainment and people in general already in the Christmas spirit, Advent offers us the chance to slow down, set aside the noise and distractions, and become attune to the subtle voice of the Lord. The Holy Spirit is ready to assist us, if we let Him. Who knows, maybe our demeanour and example will peak the interest of others and become an opportunity for us to lovingly witness to them in response.