The fourth Sunday of advent is when some churches focus on Mary. Reading the gospels, all we know about Mary is she was a virgin pledged to be married to Joseph in the town of Nazareth in Galilee. She wasn’t remarkable, she had no special quality. She was ordinary. Except…
Mary found favour in with God. Through her heart and her character, Mary was chosen to be more than ordinary, her life was turned upside down. In a moment, she became extraordinary. In the passage from Luke’s gospel, the angel says, “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.” It reminds of the book, ‘The Shack”. In that, God keeps saying, “I’m especially fond of …” whoever they happen to be talking about. I’ve also heard it said that God does have favourites, it’s just that we are all favourites.
It was nothing Mary did that made her extraordinary. On her own, she was an ordinary girl getting ready to be married. But the touch of God’s hand, the acceptance of God’s invite changed that. And it was an invite. Mary has to accept it, has to agree and say yes. I believe she could have said no, but instead she listens and says, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.”
It is the touch of God that makes something extraordinary. A touch offered to those who are highly favoured. Or, in the words of ‘The Shack’, those who God is “especially fond of”. And that is everyone.
Not everyone will bear God’s son. But the disciples we ordinary fishermen/tax collectors/citizens before Jesus called them. They they became disciples and apostles, extraordinary people who spread the faith.
God calls all of us, invites us into his story, beckons us to follow. And if we agree, if we step forward and accept, we receive God’s touch, we receive Holy Spirit. And in receiving, just like Mary and the apostles, we become something extraordinary. Not because of we have done or could ever do, but because of what we carry of God.
God takes the ordinary and makes it extraordinary. And that includes you.
The Reason for my Hope Blog 