Preparing the Way: The Nativity

This Christmas week the Dominican students of Blackfriars have been preparing the way for Christmas with a series of reflections on the Rosary.

The third reflection, on the Nativity, the third Joyful Mystery, was given by Br. Gregory Pearson OP and is now available in this pre-recorded video for readers who could not join us.

Characters of Advent - the ox and the donkey

There is a responsory for Matins of Christmas, O magnum mysterium, which is much loved by composers, who all try to convey in music something of the wonder and paradox of the Christmas mystery. It is one of my favourite liturgical texts and it includes these words: "O what a great mystery and wonderful sign (admirabile sacramentum), that animals should see the new-born Lord lying in a manger ... The Lord between two animals, lying in a manger!"

These two animals are the ox and the donkey, and we find them in Nativity scenes in church and in Christian art, and we mention them in carols and liturgical songs. Yet, there is no mention of these beasts in the Gospels themselves. The only animals mentioned in the infancy narratives are the flock over which the shepherds watched (Luke 2:8). Why, then, are they given such prominence in our liturgical and artistic tradition? And why did St Francis of Assisi - who 'invented' the first Crib scene as a devotional tableau - specifically ask that Christ be depicted in his crib between an ox and a donkey? Is this just further evidence of his reputed love for animals?

The ox and the donkey are not merely products of a pious imagination or animal-loving sentimentality, however. They have their basis in this prophecy of Isaiah: "The ox knows its owner, and the ass its Master's crib; but Israel does not know, my people does not understand" (Isaiah 1:3). The Fathers of the Church saw in these words a prophecy that pointed to Christ's birth and particularly to the fact that Christ was laid in a manger, a feeding trough for stabled animals. A manger was used as the Master's crib, and so the Fathers reasonably surmised that there would be animals around the makeshift crib, notably the ox and donkey prophesied by Isaiah. Thus, the responsory above repeats that Christ was found lying in a manger, and stresses that there were not just dumb animals beholding the incarnate Lord but two animals: the perceptive animals foretold by Isaiah.

The point of all this is to identify the helpless baby lying in the rough manger as the Master and Lord of all, the longed-for Saviour promised by Isaiah. It is he whom the ox and donkey recognise. It is also fitting that the Lord, who gives his Body and Blood to us in the form of food and drink should be found lying in a feeding trough. In a sense then, we are called to follow the example of the ox and the donkey, marvelling at Our Lord, not now lying in a manger but upon the Altar as our Bread of Life.

The presence of the ox and donkey in our crib scenes and on Christmas cards is thus also a challenge to us. For, by some miracle, they know and understand who the new-born Jesus is. But do we, who are naturally rational animals? Do we human animals recognise the Lord present in the wonderful sacrament of the Eucharist, present in the signs and mystery of the Church, and present in our fellow men, especially those who like the baby Jesus are weak, vulnerable, helpless, dependent and needy? We may claim that we know who Jesus is, but is that actually evident in the way that we live, or do we rather behave like dumb animals without reason, knowledge and understanding? It is questions such as these which confront all of us as we approach Christmas once again.

Amidst the busyness of an uncomprehending world which celebrates the festival with little knowledge or love of him, let us pause to contemplate the Lord lying in a manger between two animals, and recognise the great and wonderful mystery of Emmanuel, God-with-us.

Preparing the Way: The Institution of the Eucharist

This Christmas week the Dominican students of Blackfriars are preparing the way for Christmas with a series of reflections on the Rosary. They are taking place in the Priory Church at 12:30pm on Monday 21st, Tuesday 22nd and Wednesday 23rd December. All are welcome!

The second reflection, on the Institution of the Eucharist, the fifth of the Mysteries of Light, was given by Br Mark Davoren OP and is now available in this pre-recorded video for readers who could not join us.

Advent Reflections in Blackfriars Oxford

Preparing the Way: The Annunciation

This Christmas week the Students of Blackfriars are preparing the way for Christmas with a series of reflections on the Rosary. They are taking place in the Priory Church at 12:30pm on Monday 21st, Tuesday 22nd and Wednesday 23rd December. All are welcome!

The first reflection, on the Annunciation, the first of the Joyful Mysteries, was given by Br Graham Hunt OP and is now available in this pre-recorded video for readers who could not join us.

Fourth Sunday in Advent

In today's readings we see the promise and fulfilment of the good things that God has prepared for those who love him. As the nativity of Our Lord draws ever closer, the readings seek to make us aware of the closeness of the Lord to his people and how great the things are that he will do for them.

In the first reading we have the promise of the birth of he “who is to rule over Israel”, in a context which makes clear that this is to be the birth of someone greatly awaited, someone whose birth will bring back the remnant of the Hebrews to Israel and who will be given power by the Lord to rule over the people of Israel.

The second reading from Hebrews comments on this promise by making clear that what the Lord truly desires from his people are not sacrifices and offerings but the holiness of heart that is made possible for us by Christ's offering of himself on the Cross. Hebrews here emphasises that this holiness comes from obedience to the will of the Father, a theme that is picked up by the Gospel.

Our Lady, having assented to the will of the Lord as made known to her by the angel Gabriel, goes to visit her cousin. It is a this beautiful scene where these two women share in each others' joy, that they both should be with child in such a glorious fashion. Both Mary and Elizabeth have been obedient to God's will and now experience the greatness that this brings. Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit, with a joy that the unborn Baptist leaps to express, that same Spirit granting her the knowledge of the majesty of Mary's child, that her cousin's child is to be Immanuel, God with Us. Mary is given the singular honour of carrying and raising he who is to make holiness possible for all those who love him and humble themselves to carry out his will.

Characters of Advent - Caesar Augustus

“In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled ... and all went to be enrolled, each to his own city” (Luke 2:1, 3).

Caesar Augustus is only mentioned once in the Bible, but from what is said, one gets the impression of a very distant, authoritative figure, one whose decisions were capable of turning the lives of ordinary people upside down. Mary and Joseph had no choice but to obey dutifully Augustus' decree, and so it followed that our saviour was born in Bethlehem, the City of David.

Although Caesar Augustus was a very different figure from Jesus, there do seem to be some parallels between their identities. The name Augustus means exalted one. To many people, Augustus was their leader and saviour. His shrewd political manoeuvrings and his judicial use of force brought to an end the chaos of the late Roman Republic and ushered in an age of peace and prosperity. He was seen as possessing a divine will, he was described as the pontifex maximus, the chief priest, and after his death he was worshipped as a god.

Jesus too is capable of turning our lives upside down, he speaks with authority, he is our saviour, the one who was exalted on the cross, he brings us peace and spiritual blessings. He does not move us by force, however, but from deep within. He truly is divine, our great high priest.

To some extent Jesus and Caesar can coexist. In speaking of Augustus' successor, Jesus said “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” However, there will be situations when there is a conflict between the things of Caesar and the things of God. Jesus' condemnation by the Roman Prefect, Pontius Pilate, is an example of this. Let us pray that when we find ourselves in similar situations, we may draw strength from Christ's victory on the cross.

Characters of Advent - Herod

Two Herods appear in the gospels, Herod the Great who was King of Judea at the time of Jesus' birth, and his son, Herod Antipas, Tetrarch of Galilee, who executed John the Baptist and was involved in the condemnation of Jesus. We can call Herod the Great our 'Christmas Herod' and Herod Antipas our 'Easter Herod'. Herod the Great (74BC-4BC) was a ruthless king famous for eliminating his rivals even when these were members of his own family. He was a skillful politician, making shrewd alliances with the Romans to ensure his complete domination of Judea. He is renowned also for his building projects, the port city of Caesarea Maritima for example, but most importantly his re-construction on a grand scale of the Second Temple at Jerusalem.

Matthew's gospel tells us about Herod's interest in the birth of Jesus, a fact of which he becomes aware when the Magi visit him in Jerusalem. Ironically, he is the one who tells them that Bethlehem is the likely place of the child's birth and encourages them to go, find him, and return so that he too can come and worship this new king. We all know that this is not his real intention and that the massacre of the innocent children of Bethlehem is his real response to the birth of Jesus. Although the New Testament is the only historical witness to this event it is not unlikely considering the brutality and paranoia of Herod. He had, after all, been declared 'King of the Jews' by the Roman Senate about forty years before the birth of Jesus. Anybody who might even vaguely represent a threat to his position would therefore be ruthlessly eliminated.

The renowned Irish biblical scholar Jerome Murphy-O'Connor OP, writes as follows about the threat of Herod and the flight into Egypt:

... it would be extraordinary if Herod had not taken very seriously the prophecy of a warrior king who would come from Bethlehem (Micah 5:1) ... An opponent could recruit forces much more easily if he claimed to be the promised Messiah from Bethlehem. As God’s Chosen One he was guaranteed success; he could not lose. It would be extremely naive to imagine that Herod’s secret police were not all over Bethlehem just waiting for someone to step out of line. Since Herod was prepared to execute his own sons on mere suspicion, one did not have to be a genius to realize that he would have no compunction about wiping out a whole village just to give himself peace of mind. ... Given what everyone knew about Herod’s character and temperament, it would be incredible if those who were free to leave Bethlehem and seek safety outside Herod’s jurisdiction did not avail of the opportunity. Egypt was the traditional place of refuge for those in danger in Judea (1 Kgs 11:40; 2 Kgs 25:25-26; Jer 26:20-21), and it was not very far away. ... Joseph’s skill as an artisan gave him mobility. He could find work anywhere. He was not tied to land as were the farmers and shepherds. There can be no doubt about the historicity of the flight into Egypt of Jesus and his family. In fact, I would be extremely surprised if they were the only ones to flee from Bethlehem ('Jesus and Paul: Child Refugees', in Vivian Boland OP, editor, Watchmen Raise Their Voices, Dublin 2006, pp.64-65).

Characters of Advent - Joseph

It is not surprising that the Advent season brings Joseph to the fore. The events surrounding the conception and birth of Jesus are the only passages in the Gospels when he is mentioned. They provide us with a brief snapshot of the man who is otherwise silent. And yet those few verses give us something quite special. Joseph has a crucial role to play. He is an example to us of goodness, a man who accepts his vocation to be the foster father of Jesus. He cares for Mary during her pregnancy, and brings her to a place of safety to give birth. He is also a model of obedience to God's word, shown so clearly when he leads Mary and Jesus to safety in Egypt, away from Herod, who wanted Jesus killed. He then listens to the word of the Lord, which urges the Holy Family's return, after the death of Herod.

We should not doubt the significance of Joseph in Jesus' upbringing, even if we do not have much any information about it in the Gospels. The thirty hidden years were Jesus' time of preparation for his public ministry, a time which would have been shaped by sitting at the feet of the carpenter, listening to him and learning from him in that same spirit of obedience which Joseph himself showed when God's word came to him through the message of an angel. Joseph attended to God's word when the message of the angel came, and now tends to the Word himself, caring for him and nurturing him so that Jesus will be able to do the will of the Father when his time to proclaim the Good News has come.

Joseph is a great Advent character. He is a model to us of humble obedience, an obedience that comes through attending to the Word of God. Advent is a time when we too are called to attend to the word, so that when Christmas comes, we will be ready for him to be born anew in us. And Joseph is also a reminder that that spirit of loving attention is not just for Advent, or even for Christmas, but is something to cultivate all year round.

Characters of Advent - Gabriel

The Greek word angelos means messenger and so angels are those creatures who announce God's word to His people. The Scriptures name three of these messengers of the Lord - Gabriel, Michael, and Raphael. The first two are first mentioned by the prophet Daniel who sees apocalyptic visions of the end of the world. Gabriel, whose name means 'Strength of God', appears to a terrified Daniel and says: "understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end". He foretells the coming of a king "whose power shall be great" and who will persecute God's people.

It is noteworthy that Gabriel is the messenger who explains the end times, for he appears again in Luke's gospel. The 'time of the end', of which Gabriel speaks, comes to pass when the Word becomes flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary. For, as St Paul says, "when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman" (Galatians 4:4). And Hebrews says that "in these last days God has spoken to us by a Son" (Hebrews 1:2). Thus, at the end of time itself, God sends his messenger Gabriel to announce his word once more to His people, who are represented not by Daniel, a son of man, but by the Virgin Mary, whom the Church's liturgy (citing the book of Judith) calls "the highest honour of our race". And Gabriel announces the Word Himself, for once the Virgin gives her 'yes' to God's message from Gabriel, she conceives the Word Incarnate by the power of the Holy Spirit. In this way, the word that was spoken to her by Gabriel is truly fruitful and preeminently finds a home within her as the Word.

The One who is to be born of Mary is called "Son of the Most High" and he will be "great" and "of his kingdom there will be no end". So, Gabriel who had once prophesied the coming of a great king who would oppress God's people now comes to announce the advent of a great king, the Son of God Himself, who would liberate God's people and establish them in holiness, freed from the oppression of sin and death. Hence, the end times have come for God Himself has become man and dwells with His people. As such, there is no longer any need for further prophets and angels, for the Word of God Himself has spoken to us, and He continues to speak, communicating the very life of God to us in the sacraments of His Body, the Church, which is animated by His Holy Spirit. Furthermore, by his death, resurrection and ascension into heaven, Jesus destroyed the power of sin and death over humankind. So, the Catechism says: "since the Ascension God's plan has entered into its fulfillment. We are already at 'the last hour'". And in this last hour, the Church waits with "joyful hope for the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ", and she prays in her liturgy and especially in Advent that He will come in glory and so bring to perfection what began with His Incarnation, announced by Gabriel's word to the Virgin Mary.

Characters of Advent - Zechariah

Zechariah, do not be afraid, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth is to bear you a son and you shall name him John. He will be your joy and delight and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord; he must drink no wine, no strong drink; even from his mother's womb he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, and he will bring back many of the Israelites to the Lord their God (Luke 1:13-16).

One feels an immediate sympathy for Zechariah and Elizabeth. Something about the portraits that Luke sketches in just a few verses in the first chapter of his Gospel immediately resonates with our own experience. It has an authentic feel to it. Zechariah and Elizabeth are depicted as an upright and pious couple that long for a child, yet none has come. It seems like their faithfulness and devotion has been in vain.

Yet God bursts into Zechariah's life at this time when he has given up all hope. The angel Gabriel announces that Elizabeth will bear a son, and that this child will prepare Israel for the coming of God. Contained within this declaration is Zechariah's vocation. His task is to facilitate the action of God in the world by preparing his son from birth to be a mouthpiece of God.

Unfortunately Zechariah, perhaps ground down by a lifetime of disappointments, does not quite have the faith necessary to accept Gabriel's words. Consequently, in contrast to his son the prophet, Zechariah is silenced. His unbelief leaves him dumb. Only when, in obedience to God, he names his child John at the infant's circumcision did his voice return. At that instant Zechariah is filled with the Holy Spirit and utters that great hymn of praise which the Church sings every morning at Lauds: 'Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel, he has visited his people and set them free' (Luke 1:68).

There is much in the life of Zechariah for us to reflect upon. His perseverance in his faith despite the disappointment of remaining childless for example, or the immense importance of his vocation simply to be a good father to his child. I am most struck by the silence that stemmed from his doubting the message of God, and the prophetic words that flowed from a later act of faith. If our words are to have potency, if they are to be life giving, they must come from Christ. Perhaps, in order to better hear the particular word that Christ has for us, we should take the opportunity this advent of returning to the Gospels with a new attentiveness.

Saints in Advent - St John of the Cross

St. John of the Cross was born at Hontoveros, Old Castile, on 24 June 1542 to a family of poor silk weavers and grew up knowing great hardship and poverty. His father, who was from a wealthy family but was disinherited after marrying beneath his rank, died at the prime of his youth and left his wife widowed with only her eldest son to assist her in providing the most basic necessities for her family. He was able to attend a Jesuit school, after the governor of the Hospital of Medina took him into his service. It was in that city that he entered the Carmelite Order and was told in prayer that he was to bring the Order back to its ancient perfection. After profession he obtained permission from his superiors to follow the primitive Carmelite rule, without the mitigations that had been granted by various Popes since its foundation in 1155. After meeting St. Teresa of Avila, he resolved to help her in establishing a priory of Carmelite friars who would live out the austerities of the primitive rule. These reformed friars came to be known as Discalced, because of their custom of going barefoot or wearing sandals instead of shoes. The reform spearheaded by Teresa and John spread rapidly but not without great suffering on John's part, as he was imprisoned and greatly mistreated when he refused to give up the reformed way of life. He was able to resist the order of his provincial without disobedience, since he held his office of spiritual director and confessor to the Carmelite nuns in Avila not from the Order but from the Apostolic Delegate. St. John's life of great austerity and mystical contemplation is a reminder to all Christians, and religious especially, that we need to be challenged, in the way we live our lives, to return to the evangelical counsels of prayer, fasting and almsgiving, since the Way of the Cross will not always bring us material comforts.

The painting of the Crucifixion above is by Salvador Dali and was inspired by a sketch made by St. John.

Happy Hanukkah

Hanukkah is the Jewish Festival of Dedication, also known as the "Festival of Lights.” It is an eight-day festival beginning on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev, and this year it fell on the sunset of December 11. It is probably one of the best-known Jewish holidays because of its proximity to Christmas and therefore forming part of the "festive season". Hanukkah celebrates events which took place over 2,300 years ago in the land of Judea, which in many ways are linked to the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus.

Antiochus IV, the Greek ruler of the Seleucid Empire, oppressed the Jews severely. He placed a Hellenistic priest in the Temple, he massacred the people, he prohibiting the practice of the Jewish religion, and desecrated the Temple by requiring the sacrifice of pigs on the altar. One of the groups which opposed Antiochus was led by Mattathias the Hasmonean and his son Judah “The Hammer” Maccabee. This small band of pious Jews led guerrilla warfare against the Syrian army. Antiochus sent thousands of well-armed troops to crush the rebellion, but the Maccabees succeeded in driving the foreigners from their land. According to historical accounts, Jewish fighters entered Jerusalem in December 164 BC. The Holy Temple, the Jewish religious center, was a shambles, defiled and desecrated by foreign soldiers.

The Maccabees cleansed the Temple and rededicated it on the twenty-fifth day of the month of Kislev. When it came time to re-light the Menorah, the multi-branched lampstand, they searched the entire Temple but only one small jar of oil bearing the pure seal of the High Priest could be found. Miraculously, the small jar of oil burned for eight days, until a new supply of oil could be brought. From then on, Jews everywhere have observed a holiday for eight days in honor of this historic victory and the miracle of the oil. The observance of Hanukkah features the lighting of a special Hanukkah menorah with eight branches plus a helper candle, adding a new candle each night.

Does this festival however hold any significance for Christians? We know from the Gospel of John that Our Lord celebrated this feast in Jerusalem, but we are under no obligation or “law” to celebrate any of the Jewish festivals given to Israel.

The feast however has obvious symbolism: Christ is the true light of the world and the events of Hanukkah are fulfilled in Him. In many ways the story of the Maccabees' success is a foreshadowing of Christ. The destruction and desecration of Israel is like the Fall. The light that restores the proper order in the Temple is brought by a miraculous and pure vessel, just as the immaculately conceived Virgin brought forth the Word Incarnate, who is the True light that will never cease to burn and shine in the world. As Christians, our Hanukkah is not only the re-dedication of the Temple but the re-dedication of creation by Jesus Christ. As we journey through Advent we prepare ourselves for this re-dedication which began when the Word became flesh.

Third Sunday of Advent - Rejoice

Last year I attended a non-religious crematorium service of a relative who had died. After a rather depressing eulogy, we left the building with a recording of 'Always look on the bright side of life' piping away in the background. Sometimes it can be difficult to find words of comfort, and this song is an ironic reminder of how ridiculous it could sound if we tried too hard. Still, we have to be careful not to fall into the trap of believing there are never any words that can be used to console people.

Today is Gaudete Sunday, a day in which we are exhorted to rejoice, and it is a reminder that words are not always cheap and superficial. Words can cut deep into us. John the Baptist called the multitudes who came to be baptized 'a brood of vipers' – hardly words that are consoling, but these words sunk deep into his listeners. They were shaken out of their complacency and they woke up to something that deep down they already knew – their relationship with other people is important. It is important that people should share, that they shouldn't exploit each other or make false accusations. Such rules are essential for a community to flourish. But this isn't all there is to John's message. It is only a preparation for something far greater.

In Philippians, we are told to rejoice in the Lord always. Rejoicing is not optional or dependent on our mood. It's essential to our being; it's the reason why we exist. When we rejoice, it is not something we do on our own - we rejoice as a community. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we become a community that can rejoice in the Lord, a community that is the visible presence of the Lord in the world. As an individual, we might not always feel joyful, but our membership of Christ's body, the Church, is a sign of great joy. In telling us to rejoice in the Lord, Paul is not using empty words; these words have substance, they are embodied in Christ.

Characters of Advent - Elizabeth

John the Baptist, as we have seen, had the special mission of being the Forerunner of the Christ, 'going ahead of the Lord to prepare his way' (Luke 1: 76). This mission began at his very conception, when Elizabeth miraculously conceives in her old age, pointing towards the miraculous events of the Annunciation and Incarnation: indeed, the angel Gabriel uses Elizabeth's conception as an example for Mary that 'nothing is impossible to God' (Luke 1: 37). Elizabeth, too, recognises that her conception is a miraculous gift of God: 'the Lord has done this for me' she says (Luke 1: 25). Later on, when, Mary goes to visit her, Elizabeth becomes the first to recognise, in response to the sign of the baby in her womb, the blessedness of Mary, and of the child she bears: her openness to recognising the working of God in her own life enables her to see and understand the 'great things' he has done for Mary (cf. Luke 1: 49)

And so Elizabeth is an example for us, too: as we prepare ourselves this Advent to receive the Christ, Elizabeth shows us that, to learn to recognise him when he comes, we must first recognise all the many things he has freely given to us. Then, just as Elizabeth recognised the Christ through the kicking of John the Baptist, God's gift to her, in her womb, we too may come, through God's gifts to us, especially of his Word and his Sacraments, to know Christ, the greatest gift and the consummation of them all.

Characters of Advent: John the Baptist

St. John the Baptist is the bridge between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant that is found in the person of Jesus Christ. He is the last of the Prophets and the first of the disciples. Even in the womb, this great saint, called by God to be the "prophet of the Most High; who will go before the Lord to prepare his ways", recognised the Messiah within the womb of his blessed mother and jumped with joy. John's whole life was geared towards the unique ministry of preparing the world for Christ. He is the Elijah promised by God in the Book of Malachi and recognised by Our Lord as the Elijah who has already come to herald the arrival of the Messiah. Within the Eastern Churches he is often depicted with the wings of an angel to symbolise his role as the first messenger of the Word made flesh. As Advent progresses we are called once again to hear the voice of the one crying in the wilderness and prepare the way of the Lord. We are called to imitate him: to leap with joy and rejoice in our Saviour, and to proclaim His coming into the world, and the salvation this brings, to the whole of creation until He comes again in glory.

Characters of Advent - Isaiah

Throughout Advent the voice of Isaiah echoes down to us with a prophetic zeal and eloquence that is profound, moving and uplifting. Often referred to as the Gospel of the Old Testament, or the Fifth Gospel, Isaiah resonates strongly for us at this time, foretelling the coming of our Saviour and assuring us of our hope for salvation.

Modern biblical scholarship has identified this lengthy book as being composed by three ‘prophet Isaiahs’, the second and third continuing the work of the first, such was his remarkable style and vision. Written in the Kingdom of Judah in the 8th century BC, at a time of almost continual conflict with rival kingdoms, Isaiah does not flinch from admonishing those who turn from God whilst offering consolation and hope to those who seek His mercy and salvation: “On the inhabitants of a country in shadow dark as death light has blazed forth” (Isaiah 9:1).

This light, this promise of hope and a new beginning, is conveyed to us directly and with complete assurance: “The Lord will give you a sign in any case. It is this: the young woman is with child and will give birth to a son whom she will call Immanuel” and again we read that “a son has been given to us and dominion has been laid on his shoulders and this is the name he has been given, ‘Wonder-Counsellor, Mighty God, Eternal-Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 7:14, 9:5).

We see clearly in such passages the wonderful truth for which we prepare this Advent and we are reminded in Isaiah of how Christ will give Himself for the salvation of all nations, of all who choose to trust in Him. Let us journey with Isaiah, let our hearts be consoled, and may we prepare ourselves fittingly for the coming of our Saviour this Christmas.

Prophecy and its Fulfillment

In the Old Testament, we have many things about the prophets. There are tales of their lives, and accounts of their writings. We can see then how the prophets are an important part of the history of salvation, because they made God's message known to the people through what they said, what they did, and what they wrote. They were a sign of the fact that God was with his people, and that he desired to make himself know to his people, so that they might follow in his ways.

In the Advent season, we feast on the riches of the prophetic tradition. We have readings from the most famous prophetic book, the book of Isaiah. These reading speak of the coming of the messiah, and tell us that God will act decisively on behalf of his people, so that his kingdom might be established on earth. We also hear a lot about John the Baptist in Advent. He is, according to the Synoptic Gospels, the 'messenger... who shall prepare the way', the 'voice crying in the wilderness'. John is a kind of super prophet, because he is the last of his kind, the one who can directly identify the one that all the other prophets were speaking about.

Prophecy on its own is nothing - it needs to be fulfilled, otherwise all we have are empty words. But we know that all the prophecies find fulfillment in the coming of the Word, who is made flesh, and who dwelt among us. This wonderful truth means that when we hear the message of the prophets being read, it should touch us at our deepest level. What was foretold has taken place - God has fulfilled his promises, and has come to us to save us.

Characters of Advent - Mary: Ave gratia plena!

It is often noted that pregnant mothers have a certain radiance and 'glow' about them, physically attributed to the extra flow of blood around their bodies. But of course, it is well to think that this is a beautiful external sign of the inner joy that an expectant mother experiences in her spirit as new life grows and develops within her womb. During Advent, the Church focuses her attention on several persons, and one of these is a pregnant mother, who is not just aglow with joy and her pregnancy, but also beautiful and radiant with divine grace.

This person, of course, is the Virgin Mary, and the well-known sentence which points to this two-fold 'glow' comes from St Luke's account of the Annunciation. The phrase is most familiar to us in this translation: "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you", which is itself a translation of the Latin Ave gratia plena, Dominus tecum. The key word in this phrase, in St Luke's original Greek, is kecharitōmenē which becomes gratia plena or 'full of grace'. Attention to the words used is important, and following St Thomas Aquinas' methodology, we should begin by looking at the ordinary meaning of the words charis and gratia. In this way we hope to have some insight into what it is that the evangelist says Mary is full of!

'Charis' in Greek can be translated as 'favour' (and indeed some translations of the Bible do use this meaning so that Mary is the 'highly favoured' one), but 'charis' was also used to refer to "an adornment of social relationships or moral qualities", like gold on silver, as Homer put it. In other words, someone who possessed charis was 'gracious', and so, beautiful or attractive in her behaviour both socially and morally. As such, there is a another sense of charis which is 'attractiveness, charm, producing favourable impressions'. For one who is gracious and graceful (like a ballerina, say) attracts our eye and wins our admiration, love and favour. So, when St Jerome translated the Greek of St Luke's phrase, he used gratia, which also has as its primary meaning 'that which is pleasing, charm, attraction'.

Therefore, Mary is one who is very pleasing to God and exceedingly beautiful in his sight. But this beauty of which we speak does not come from her own efforts or a good gene pool! She is beautiful to God because she is graceful: full of divine grace. For grace renders human beings pleasing to God. And just as we might say that someone is graced with good looks or an artistic talent, so Mary's beauty and grace is not something she has earned, but she was born with it. Indeed, grace, which makes one pleasing to God, was given to her by God from the very moment of her conception. For the Greek phrase St Luke uses is a perfect passive participle, so that, as Pope John Paul II says, "We should not simply say 'full of grace' but 'made full of grace' or 'filled of divine grace', which clearly indicate that this is a gift from God to the Virgin. The term, in the form of perfect participle, confirms the image of a perfect and lasting grace which implies fullness". The fullness of the grace that is given to Mary thus implies that she was not just conceived and born with grace, but she was given grace upon grace to nurture and develop this grace. Throughout her life, she cooperated with God's grace, so that she would grow and be perfected in charity. So, because she is full of grace, she also acts graciously, and as she is graceful, so she is beautiful and deserving of our love and highest admiration. Moreover, because she is beautiful in God's eyes, she is favoured by him and he chooses her as the one who is worthy to bear the Son of God in her womb. Thus, she is aglow with grace and also with the glow of her pregnancy.

Seen in this light, then, the feast of the Immaculate Conception rightly celebrates the full meaning of Mary being hailed by the angel as kecharitōmenē. So, as a 4th-century Marian antiphon that is used for the feast of the Immaculate Conception puts it: tota pulchra es, Maria, "you are all beautiful, Mary, and the original stain [of sin] is not in you. You are the glory of Jerusalem, you are the joy of Israel, you give honour to our people". Mary is beautiful, pleasing, attractive, because she is made full of grace, and we rightly rejoice in this and are grateful to God that she was made graceful from her very beginning. For through her and the fruit of her womb, Jesus, we too can be made full of grace, we too are rendered pleasing to God and receive his divine favour.

For at our baptism, we were clothed in the grace of Christ and made children of the Father, so that he also says to us: "You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased". This is what the grace of baptism does: it makes us pleasing in the sight of God and causes us to be disposed to receive God's favour. And when we have sinned, we receive sanctifying grace in the sacrament of penance that restores to us the beauty of grace that we lost through the ugliness of sin. As with Mary, God wills to give us grace upon grace so as to keep us and perfect us in charity, and to make us as beautiful, pleasing and attractive as she is. All we have to do is to follow her example and say to God: "let it be to me according to your Word". Then, we shall be aglow with grace and expectant joy, pregnant with the Word within us whom we bring to birth in our Christ-like lives.

Saints in Advent - St Ambrose, a saint for our age

St. Ambrose was born ca. 340 AD probably at Trier to one of the most prominent families in the Empire, his father being prefect of Gallia. He grew up in an atmosphere of great piety and devotion, mostly influenced by his widowed mother and his sister, who went on to take the veil of virginity and subsequently became a nun. It was from this sister that he acquired his great respect and esteem for virginity and his sense of its value.

He had a thorough knowledge of Greek, with a mastery of the language far greater than the Western Fathers who followed him, particularly Sts. Augustine and Leo the Great. In an age when the mystical body of Christ is wounded by so many divisions among Christians, Ambrose can teach us the importance, when engaging in dialogue, of understanding the language and expression of those with whom we seek to converse. Some scholars have even speculated that the terrible Schism between East and West would have been avoided if the thorough knowledge of the Greek mind, demonstrated by St. Ambrose in his conversations with St. Basil of Caesarea, had been maintained.

Ambrose is perhaps best known by most Christians for bringing about the conversion of St. Augustine through his preaching and holy life as Bishop of Milan. The Church esteems him as one of her four great doctors: Sts. Augustine, John Chrysostom and Athanasius being the others, with whom he shares the honour of supporting the chair of the Prince of the Apostles in St. Peter's Basilica.