Call to Generosity

Wednesday,
December 21, 2016
4th Week of Advent
1st Reading: Song 2:8-14 or Zep 3:14-18:
Gospel: Luke 1:39-45

Mary then set out for a town in the Hills of Judah. She entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leapt in her womb. Elizabeth was filled with Holy Spirit, and giving a loud cry, said, “You are most blessed among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb! How is it that the mother of my Lord comes to me? The moment your greeting sounded in my ears, the baby within me suddenly leapt for joy. Blessed are you who be lieved that the Lord’s word would come true!”

D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)

A big celebration should have followed the Annunciation, considering the big appointment Mary received from God. But come to think of it: a mere announcement in passing (obiter dictum) made by the angel about Elizabeth’s old-age pregnancy drove Mary to a town in the hills of Judah to serve her. A Marian adversary may argue that the absence of celebration after the Annunciation shows that Mary did not value the contract she entered into with God. Moreover, her subsequent trip to the hills of Judah was not genuine generosity because she was there to serve a relative anyway.

The criticism is weak. If Mary did not value the contract, she should have rescinded it when she found it too onerous later, such as when Joseph began to be suspicious of her morals finding her pregnant without his intervention. Moreover, the Calvary event was too impossible to happen to a God, and Mary had every reason to suspect the angel was just bluffing as to the true nature of the child she bore. On the contrary Mary remained faithful to the end.

Mary’s attitude of faithful service unlocked the doors to salvation. This same attitude is the key to our journey to salvation as a parish community. Our theme for 2017 is: The Parish as Communion of Communities. It has the following subthemes: 1) Conversion (metanoia), 2) Charism (charismata), 3) Eucharist (eucharistia), 4) Service (diakonia), and, 5) Koinonia (communion). Let’s talk about diakonia (service).

Dedication is necessary in service. There is no middle way. Half-hearted service leaves half of the heart empty. Since nature abhors vacuum, that empty part of the heart will suck in selfish motives. This evil content of half of the heart will render toxic whatever good things stored in the other half. Either one serves wholeheartedly or he does not serve at all.
Mary remains the ideal model of wholehearted service. If we play the sedulous ape on her, we’d be the most prepared Christians for Christmas. –(Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM.

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