The Bringer of Good News

Last week we launched into the Gospel of Mark, reading how his story is all about the good news of Jesus Christ. It is often the case that the first line of a book is the one which must capture the attention of the reader if it is going to make any impression, and a story all about good news sounds like it’s well worth reading. We should keep this idea of good news at the forefront of our minds as we celebrate the liturgy this weekend because this Sunday is ‘Gaudete’ Sunday or ‘Joyful’ Sunday and on Monday we will begin the pre-octave of Christmas when each gospel reading of the weekday will unfold in all its beauty and majesty the mystery of the most joyful event in our history, the incarnation of Jesus.

To express this joy today, the Lectionary gives us two gospel readings to meditate on rather than one. Instead of a psalm after the first reading we are given the Magnificat from the Gospel of Luke to sing, and sing it we should, because it is one of the most joyful expressions of praise that issues from the mouth of any person in the whole of the canon of scripture. May I suggest that you take the bulletin home with you and keep it close by, so that on each day of this pre-octave week, you can pray this amazing paean of praise to God at home. I believe that if you do you will find that your spirits will be raised and that your heart will be filled with joy, just as Mary herself was. Go through each line slowly and prayerfully and allow the implications of the context of the canticle to illuminate your own circumstances. The message which Mary has been given (which will be the subject of next week’s gospel), is the good news given to her by the angel Gabriel, (a name which means “God’s strength”), that she is the one chosen to bear the child who will become the Messiah. Mary’s response is joyous, and that joy emanates from every line of her poem as the enormity of what it all this means for her becomes clear.

As we enter this special week in the liturgy of the Church, our minds will of course be filled with so many other matters and needs, all of which are perfectly natural and understandable. But in the midst of all the turbulence and upheaval that entered Mary’s life, she kept that good news at the forefront of her mind. We are called to make that same commitment, to keep the good news, the joyful news of the gospel message at the heart of all we do. Remember it was “God’s strength” that brought her the message and it was God’s strength which gave her the courage to glorify his name. In our joy, let that strength speak to us too.

Our Advent this year is curtailed. Last Sunday we had our celebration to launch the new parish of All Saints and our minds were perhaps more attuned to the joy of that occasion rather than doing the 1st Sunday of Advent full justice. But let us rejoice at what we did last week and congratulate everyone for the sterling efforts that went into pulling off one of the great turnarounds in managing to put it all together in the circumstances. Well done to one and all for such a memorable celebration. It just shows what we can do when we put our minds to it. But having now left behind that 1st Sunday of Advent we find that the 4th week is also gone because the 4th Sunday of Advent falls on December 24 . In reality there are only 14 days of Advent left –just a fortnight. So, as you can see that there is much to fit into these two weeks.

Today’s readings however will help us to concentrate the mind and I think that the First Reading and the Gospel complement each other beautifully to provide for us a clarion call to stir us from what ever holds us back in our response to God’s call. Isaiah cries out that the time of exile is complete – “her time of service is over, her sin is atoned for”. What a joyous message indeed. It rings with such fervour that its hard not to be uplifted by its vision. Obstacles are cleared and a pathway is bulldozed through the barriers and fences that otherwise stop and prevent us from acclaiming the presence of the Lord amongst us. And Mark in his extraordinary opening to his book of Good News echoes in just one sentence, the enormity of what has happened. His opening line is revelatory, declaring that what has now come about through the person of Jesus is the completion of the whole of the Biblical narrative, from its very outset in the Book of Genesis to the present day and beyond into the fulness of time. Mark implies by naming Jesus the anointed Son of God, that the powers of this world are overcome because of what his good news will relate, and it begins exactly as Isaiah prophesised. “Prepare the way for the Lord” and in this preparedness we acknowledge with the psalmist that we have “seen his mercy and have received his saving help”.

This is the encouragement which we dig into as we use this short time to make our own paths straight and bring us into the realm of his kingdom. We know that there are struggles and difficulties for so many people, and our hearts must not be hardened so that we fail to recognise the suffering that is shattering so many lives. Let our prayers be ones which call for peace on earth and goodwill to all at the coming of the one who will baptise with the Holy Spirit and be our shepherd feeding us with his love.

Celebrating our new parish All Saints.

In the opening chapters of the prophet Isaiah, we read “Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the Temple of our God”. This “us” is inclusive of all the nations, called to participate in a great procession of humanity, walking in step in the light of the Lord. It is a magnificent image, one which in a real way is evoked by our gathering here today to begin our new identity as the parish of All Saints, West Nottingham. Images are important for us because they convey meaning through sign and symbol. The image that was on the overhead screen as we came into this Hall was just one artist’s (Fra Angelico) portrayal of the communion of saints on the move towards that great goal of the heavenly Jerusalem, but its just one image and today, I think we should make an attempt at combining the two realities we are celebrating to see what sign and symbol they create.

Advent and All Saints, can they resonate? Do they resonate? Yes, they can and together they produce a powerful witness of the hope that springs eternal in the Christian message. Advent is the season of the Church which begins its new year. We look forward to the coming of Christ, not just as the infant in the manger at Christmas, but also as the Risen Lord who will come in glory at the end of time. Our hope is affirmed in this message. The story continues to unfold before us as we live the gospel in our every day lives. The life of Jesus becomes the pattern for our lives as we respond to his call and take up the challenge which he offers us from birth to death and beyond. Of course, the saints inspire and help us. Our three patrons are magnificent examples of this. St Teresa who lived to express the love of God in all things. St Thomas More whose faith was steadfast during a period of great political and religious upheaval, and St Hugh who was a pastor of deep compassion and steely resilience in times of change and re-organisation. What great models they are for our new parish of All Saints, as we begin this new phase of our Christian vocation of mission and outreach.

Perhaps we could set up a prayer space in each of our churches and dedicate it to these three saints to remind us of our unity together. We could create a special prayer invoking their intercession to help, guide and encourage us in our new project. We could have it on display, easily accessible to be read as we contemplate the work we are called to undertake. Wouldn’t that be a truly appropriate sign and symbol for this day of celebration?