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Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Advent

Today's Lectionary Readings
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I was going to write a somewhat lighthearted reflection entitled,
"So, Gabriel Stopped by Today" but apparently that was not
the direction I was supposed to go.  Every time I sat down to
type there were two phrases from today's Gospel that came to
mind.  

The Gospel today is the story of the visitation of the angel Gabriel
to Mary.  The first phrase that resonated with me was "she
was greatly troubled." It never says she figured it all out and
then everything was fine.  No, she was greatly troubled. 
Mary's life was just turned completely upside down.  She
was not expecting this.  She didn't understand this, and
she was greatly troubled by this. 

For those clients who, like Mary, accept what is going on out of faith
in our Lord, being troubled, or confused, or worried, or disturbed, or
perplexed is known territory.  If Mary who is "full of
grace" and "greatly favored by God" can still be
greatly troubled, then, so can I and, so can those we minister to.
Being a person of faith, as many of our clients are, does not protect
us from being greatly troubled.  We don't fully know what
is troubling our clients, but we do know that the uneasiness of not
knowing what is happening or what the future holds can be
all-consuming and exhausting. 

The last sentence in this passage from Luke is the second line which
stayed with me: "then the angel departed from her." 
This reading left me wondering how our clients feel after we
depart.  Like the angel Gabriel, we are part of their lives when
they are greatly troubled.  Perhaps even at their lowest point.
We offer help, support, and guidance and then we depart leaving them
to live their lives.

My prayer today is for all our clients, maybe especially for our
former clients.  May they embrace the loving presence of God in
their lives and know, as Mary did, that nothing is impossible for God.

Chris Austgen is the Coordinator of Parish Social Ministry at Mary
Queen Catholic Church in Friendswood, Texas.  She is also a
member of the CCUSA Parish Social Ministry Team.




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