Well we have almost finished our journey through Advent.  Each week’s readings had a slightly different theme.  The first week we heard Promise.  The prophet Jeremiah said, The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah.  In the Gospel we heard, But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.  The Promised One is coming.  The second week, Preparation with John the Baptist calling out in the desert, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.  And last week, Rejoice with the prophet Zephaniah urging us to, Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!  Sing joyfully, O Israel!  Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!  Today, Wonder.

This young teenage girl has just heard the angel Gabriel tell 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.  Mary’s initial response says it all, How can this be?  Wonder and amazement.  As soon as Mary gives her consent with May it be done to me according to your word the angel departs.  And Mary is left sitting there, wondering what has just happened.  She received no detailed plan, no idea of what the future would hold for her and this child.  Who could she talk to?  Who would understand?  Someone older, someone whom the angel has said also had something miraculous happen to her - Elizabeth.  Elizabeth can help her figure this out.  So we are told Mary set out in haste to Elizabeth’s house.

And Elizabeth does help Mary.  Elizabeth confirms that Mary is pregnant and that something sacred, something holy has happened.  Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb.  Elizabeth helps Mary understand that she has become part of God’s story.  Mary’s yes, Mary’s willingness to be part of God’s story even though she doesn’t understand all of it, changes her life.  It is no longer her life that is most important but rather her role in God’s story.  That’s what Elizabeth did.  She took Mary’s wonder, and maybe even her doubt and fear, and confirmed Mary’s role.  She confirmed that both of them were now part of God’s story.

What about us?  Do we ever wonder if we are part of God’s story and if so what is our role?  By virtue of our baptism we became part of God’s story.  We were anointed priest, prophet and king.  We were filled with the Holy Spirit so that we could go out into the world and like Elizabeth, help others see their role in God’s story.  Each one of us is given a mission, a role that only we can do.  I don’t know what your role is, we each have to find our own role in God’s story.  Advent is a wonderful time to do that. A time to just be silent and listen to what God is calling us to do.  Let the angels speak to us.  Let the scriptures speak to us.  Let God speak to us. The scary thing is, whatever it is God is calling us to do, no one else can do it.  If we don’t take our role in God’s story it won’t be fulfilled.

A good place to start is right here, with the Mass.  The Mass is God’s story of redemption.  Mary’s yes gave her a role in God’s story.  When we come up to this altar and cup our hands, our Amen is our acceptance of our role in God’s story.  The challenge for us is sometimes we are more interested in our role in our own story.  Our story, our life, our wants, our needs take precedence over God’s story.  How do we change that?  Become more “other-focused.”  Clothe the naked, feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, visit the sick, comfort the sorrowing, visit the in-prisoned, care for the least of God’s children.  Somewhere in that list is our mission.