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In the last few days, I have started an advent devotional. The first week of advent represents all the prophecies of a Promised King that would come. Israel believed that this promised Messiah would come in and conquer their enemies with the sword and claim his throne, yet Yahweh had different plans. You see, Christ used a young girl named Mary who wasn’t even married and He opened up her womb. The more I have read this Christmas story, since becoming a mother, the more I see Mary too in the story. Mary, a virgin girl, around 15 was visited by the angel Michael, who came and told her she would conceive a son, and she should name him Jesus. In Luke 1:29, it says that Mary was very troubled by these words. This is the verse that keeps sticking with me, as I try to put my place in her shoes. If I were Mary, I would have been terrified, frightened, and thinking am I going crazy? I would have probably argued back and forth with God, as well; especially, if I thought about the environment she would have to enter if anyone found out. The fact that if someone found out she would have been stoned or even cut out of her society, would have been my opposition. Yet, in verse 38, Mary says to the angel, “I am your servant…may your word be fulfilled as promised.” It is within those few verses that I think we truly see Mary’s faith. Faith, that says Lord I’m all in. Faith, that says, even in the face of trial or tribulation, Lord lead me, and I will follow. This, my dear mothers and sisters in Christ, is the faith that I want to have, that I yearn for my kids to see and have. Yet, so often, I get distracted by other things and I take my eyes off the one True King. You see, usually it is because I become fearful of judgement, ridicule, or even the loss of something or someone close to me if I obey and follow Him. Mary, just like the disciples and so many more, said “Yes Lord, I am your servant” and left everything behind and followed. My prayer, as I have been studying advent and the Christmas story is that I keep my eyes on the one True King; that despite my sinful heart and selfishness I obey Him, follow Him, and have faith like that of Mary. Lord, may we trust in your plans for our lives and be able to take the steps of faith that you call each one of us too. Luke 1:26-39 – In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”[ And the angel answered her, “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, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
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Današnji datum: 10. veljače 2014. "Evo službenice Gospodnje, neka mi bude po tvojoj riječi." Čitanje svetog Evanđelja po Luki. U šestome mjesecu posla Bog anđela Gabriela u galilejski grad imenom Nazaret k djevici zaručenoj s mužem koji se zvao Josip iz doma Davidova; a djevica se zvala Marija. Anđeo uđe k njoj i reče: "Zdravo, milosti puna! Gospodin s tobom!" Na tu se riječ ona smete i stade razmišljati kakav bi to bio pozdrav. No anđeo joj reče: "Ne boj se, Marijo! Ta našla si milost u Boga. Evo, začet ćeš i roditi sina i nadjenut ćeš mu ime Isus. On će biti velik i zvat će se Sin Svevišnjega. Njemu će Gospodin Bog dati prijestolje Davida, oca njegova, i kraljevat će nad domom Jakovljevim uvijeke i njegovu kraljevstvu neće biti kraja." Nato će Marija anđelu: "Kako će to biti kad ja muža ne poznajem?" Anđeo joj odgovori: "Duh Sveti sići će na te i sila će te Svevišnjega osjeniti. Zato će to čedo i biti sveto, Sin Božji. A evo tvoje rođakinje Elizabete: i ona u starosti svojoj zače sina. I njoj, nerotkinjom prozvanoj, ovo je već šesti mjesec. Ta Bogu ništa nije nemoguće!" Nato Marija reče: "Evo službenice Gospodnje, neka mi bude po tvojoj riječi!" I anđeo otiđe od nje (Lk 1,26-38). U životu je svaki od nas susreo različita vrata: velika i mala, široka i uska, visoka i niska, teška i lagana, vrata koja se zatvaraju, koja su uvijek zaključana, vrata koja se otvaraju, koja se sama otvaraju, vrata odluke: vrata sudnice, vrata bolnice ili vrata liječničke ordinacije od kojih često ovisi sudbonosna spoznaja bolesti na život ili smrt. Naš je Bog konkretan i ulazeći u naš svijet i život on se služi konkretnim vratima. Ta konkretna vrata jest Marija. Makar ne razumije Božjega plana Marija izgovara svoj presudni "DA", svoj pristanak na Božji spasenjski plan. Ona ima povjerenja u Boga, ona ima vjeru u Boga i prepušta se volji Božjoj. Bez uvjeta, bez "ako" i "kako". Marija tako otvara Bogu vrata koja mu je zatvorio grešni čovjek i koja mu i danas oholi čovjek zatvara. "Ja sam kao Bog", "Ja sam sam svoj Bog" I danas ima ljudi koji sebe stavljaju na Božje mjesto, koji ga žele potjerati iz ovoga svijeta, koji ga ne trebaju. Svojim "Da" Marija otvara vrata Bogu u svoj život i u naš svijet. Zato je anđeo pozdravlja: "Gospodin je s Tobom". Time je Bog objavio svoje ime i time objavio nešto od svoje Božanske biti: On je "Emannuel", hrvatski prevedeno "Bog je s nama". Utjelovljenje i učovječenje Božje u Mariji je svojevrsno i jedinstveno. Ali, ne smijemo misliti da ono što se dogodilo Mariji, i to na čudesan način, da se u određenom obliku ne može i nama dogoditi. Ušavši po Marijinu pristanku u našu povijest, Bog nam daje nadu da i mi imamo udjela u toj milosti. Blaga vijest Mariji jest blaga vijest i nama "Gospodin je s tobom". To znači, Bog želi biti i sa mnom. Bog me želi držati, nositi i voditi. A to se događa, ako pripustim Boga u svoj život, ako mu otvorim vrata da uđe u moj život: u moju ljubav, dobrotu i strpljivost, u nošenje mojih teškoća, u izdržljivosti u kušnjama i nevoljama. Bogu je potreban "Da" svakog pojedinog čovjek da dođe u ovaj svijet. "Već se bliži vrijeme blago, već se bliži onaj čas..." Već ga nosi mila Mati..." Naše adventske pjesme najavljuju skori Dan Božjeg rođenja. Neka nam Marija i njezina vjera bude uzorom. Otvorimo širom vrata svoga srca, vrata pred kojima Gospodin stoji i kuca i prepustimo ga u svoj život. Čak i uz rizik da ne znamo sve posljedice za svoju budućnost. "Stojim pred vratima i kucam. Tko čuje moj glas i vrata otvori, kod njega ću navratiti i blagovat ćemo, ja s njime on sa mnom", (Otkr 3,20). Neki pobožni židovski rabin (učitelj) bio je gost kod nekog učenjaka. Gost je iznenadio domaćine pitanjem: "Gdje stanuje Bog?" Oni su se počeli smijati i rekli: "Što govoriš, pa pun je svijet njegove slave." Rabin je imao i odgovor: "Bog stanuje tamo gdje ga pripustimo." Skoro će Božić. Bog će pokucati, bolje rečeno on već kuca na naša vrata, naše srce. Hoćemo li otvoriti i dozvoliti da se i preko nas rodi u svijetu - stoji na nama i na našem odgovoru. Neka nam Marija bude mjerilo i nadahnuće. Budimo vrata kroz koja će Gospodin ući u naš život i u naš svijet.