EXPECTING, PREPARING, WAITING, COMING

This week’s Advent word is “Coming”, and we have entered the period of the pre-octave of Christmas when the gospels of the days from now to the 25 December unfold the mystery of the incarnation as the coming of Christ in the flesh is told. The preface of the Mass also, now changes its emphasis from speaking of the coming of Christ in the fulness of time, to telling of his coming as the child in the manger. But the scripture readings from the Old Testament too are full of anticipation. Something wonderful is about to happen. ‘Gather round and listen’ is how the Book of Genesis introduces us to the week. We have a story to hear, and we must attune not just our ears but our whole selves to the importance of what we are about to be told.

As so it goes...’See the days are coming – it is the Lord who speaks’ proclaims Jeremiah, evoking our understanding that it is God who is directing and relating this story to us. It continues with three stories of unusual birth narratives – a barren woman receives an annunciation from an angel and is told she is to conceive and bear a son. A maiden is with child and will soon giver birth to a son whom she will call Emmanuel, Hannah a childless wife for many years becomes pregnant and in thanksgiving she sings a joyous song extoling and exulting the Lord God. The prophet Zephaniah calls on the people of Israel to ‘shout for joy, for the Lord is in your midst’. The finale climaxes with Malachi prophesying the coming return of Elijah, followed by the account in the Book of Samuel of how the Lord, through the Davidic line, will erect a House or a lineage that will be established forever.

I find all this so compelling, pointing as it does, to the moment when the gospel at the Vigil Mass of Christmas presents us with the lineage of Jesus, son of David, Son of Abraham. All those names of long forgotten ancestors of Jesus; Salmon, Obed, Abijah, Tamah, Rahab and many more. It’s only by knowing the back story as told, that we come to fully understand why Matthew has made such a play of the lineage of Jesus ending as it does with Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, the anointed one.

St Paul understood this like no other, such that in his letter to Titus read at Midnight Mass, he tells us that ‘God’s grace has been revealed and has made salvation possible for the whole human race...with the appearing of our great God and saviour Christ Jesus.’ This revelation is the incarnation, the Word made flesh, dwelling amongst us. Luke in the gospel puts it thus:

Today in the town of David, a saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

May his advent, his coming, now be upon us