Kathy Brown, board member of Catholic Charities Maine, reflects on the
readings for the Fourth Sunday of Advent.
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****Fourth Sunday of Advent****
Today's Lectionary Readings

Today's gospel is the amazing pronouncement by Angel Gabriel to Mary
of Nazareth that, even though she is a virgin, she is going to give
birth to a son. Paul Woefel, a contemporary Nigerian artist, depicts the
Annunciation with an African Mary

in simple garb and Gabriel reverently before her. This is a humble Mary,
bewildered by this stranger. Who is this visitor, and what does he want?

In the gospel, Gabriel is 'sent' to Mary- not in a vision or a
dream- to make seven grand pronouncements:

**The Lord is with you. You are highly favored. You will give birth to a
son. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The
Lord God will give him the throne of David, and he will rule over the
house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.**

"Deeply troubled," Mary is aware that each pronouncement is loaded
with meaning. Her whole life is about to take a dangerous turn.

It's not until Mary learns that her relative Elizabeth -barren and
older- is also pregnant that she accepts Gabriel's message. The
assurance that another woman - someone she knows well and is going
through a similar experience - would walk with her during this uncertain
journey convinced Mary to believe and proclaim that with God all things
are possible. The shared experience mattered more to Mary than
Gabriel's grand promises.

This is also a story of the Incarnation. God shares our human
experiences and journeys with us in our lives. Many people in our world
are facing incredibly difficult situations. What matters most is someone
who will share their experiences, stand with them, and walk with them.
Whether they are migrants or refugees, victims of war, the hungry, or
those living on our streets, what we hear is: "Please don't forget
me!" By our actions we reveal that God is with us and with them.
"With us" is God's intention.

As Mary approaches Bethany, Elizabeth cries out to her, "Blessed are
you among women!" Mary will go through a lot as mother of Jesus, but
she will always carry this blessing with her. As we celebrate the birth
of our savior, may we be a blessing to each other, and especially for
those who need to know they are blessed.

Merry Christmas!

**Kathy Brown is a board member of Catholic Charities Maine. She
previously served on the staff of Catholic Charities USA, Catholic
Relief Services, in the Diocese of Phoenix and Tucson, plus numerous
parishes. She also served as the regional coordinator for Caritas North
America. Kathy has master's degrees from St. Paul University in
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.**

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