4th Sunday of Advent 2023

Most Reverend José H. Gomez
Archbishop of Los Angeles

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
December 24, 2023

My brothers and sisters in Christ,¹

As we all know, it is the day before Christmas and on this last Sunday of Advent, the Church prepares for this beautiful day by inviting us to reflect on the Blessed Virgin Mary and her place in salvation history.

In our Gospel today, we heard the beautiful story of the Annunciation — as the Angel Gabriel reveals to Mary and to us the coming of God’s Son:

“Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father.”

And as we know this is the key moment in salvation history, a turning point in God’s plan for creation, his plan for our lives.

So, we reflect today on this mystery that Mary knew for nine months — this mystery of the Son of God growing in her womb, the heart of the Savior beating beneath her own heart.

And in our first reading, we hear another turning point in God’s plan of salvation. Long before the coming of Christ, we hear the announcement of prophet Nathan to King David. We just heard:

“The Lord also reveals to you that he will establish a house for you. And when your time comes, and you rest with your ancestors, I will rise up your heir after you, and I will be a father to him and he shall be a son to me.”

And of course, Jesus is the Son of David! His Kingdom and his throne will endure forever! This the beginning of the mystery of Christmas and the history of salvation in a special way.

And in the second reading of today’s Mass, we are also reminded that God is the Lord of history.

St. Paul tells us — that the coming of Jesus is “the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages … made known [now] to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith.”

And my dear brothers and sisters, we are also part of this history. We are, each one of us, a part of the beautiful story of love that God is writing down through the ages.

Salvation history is not only about the past. It is also about the present. It is about your life and my life.

And as we come close to the celebration of Christmas, I think it’s good to stop and think about how beautiful it is that we are part of the plan of God from history in the simplicity of our own personal lives.

This is why our Gospel today centers us on the figure of Mary, our Blessed Mother. Because Mary is the model for our relationship with God.

Jesus must be born in every heart, just as he was born in the heart of Mary. And for that, obviously, we must say “yes” to God — just as Mary did.

When Mary heard the angel’s words at the Annunciation, she was troubled, even I would say, afraid. And it is true, the realities of our life can sometimes be troubling.

But my dear brothers and sisters, God is with us. By our side. Even now, God comes to us, and he speaks those same words that the angel spoke to Mary: “Do not be afraid.” 

So Mary is our model, she is the faithful one.

She does not run away from God. Instead, she opens her heart to him. She listens to his voice, she answers his call by offering him her life.

We heard her words in the Gospel today: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your Word.”

And these beautiful words — Mary’s words — changed the course of history. By her “yes” to God she makes it possible for our Lord to enter into our lives.

So my dear brothers and sisters today we need to open our hearts to the will of God for each one of us personally. We want to say, just as our Blessed Mother did, “yes” to God. “Yes” to his will, “yes” to his plan for our life.

And  as we get ready for Christmas tomorrow,  let us ask for the grace to be more like Mary our Blessed Mother, making our lives totally available to serve God. We need to say, as Mary did — I want to do God’s will, not my will; I want to do everything in my power to carry out God’s plan.

It is a beautiful call. It is a moment for all of us to really open our lives to God’s plan for salvation in our own personal daily life.

So, I wish you all a holy Christmas with your families.

And let us ask Mary our Blessed Mother to intercede for us and guide us. May she help us live as she did — listening to God, looking for the signs of his presence in our lives.

May she help us to say, as she did: “let be it done to me according to your Word.”