Likely, many of you are going through a familiar ritual right now, or have just recently went through it. Any time you have a guest over, there are a series of steps that must be undergone- and I have known these steps since I was very little. On the surface- it is always exciting to have guests visit, but I always disliked the work upfront. If mom was aware someone was coming over- there would be a cleaning marathon that would take place. We had to start in all the public areas- the living room, the kitchen, the bathrooms, and all the hallways, and perhaps even the front yard. As we went on, we would methodically work our way to the less frequently seen parts of the house- bedrooms, maybe the basement, perhaps some of the closets as well. As a child, there was always a reluctance to help- what is the point if it’s just going to get dirty again? Why can’t they just see our house the way it always is?
As time went on, however, I began to understand why. It was a sign of respect for the person. It wasn’t putting on a show per se, but we wanted them to know how welcome that they were, when they entered our home. There was a lot of work to do to make that happen, but nonetheless, all of it was very vitally important! The question now, though: are we prepared to receive our Lord? Are our hearts ready, even as we celebrate this very, very short forth week of Advent- to receive the coming Savior anew, not just in a certain vague way that we might have the impression we will do- but in a powerful and life-changing way?
The first reading comes from the second book of Samuel. This passage deals particularly with a dialogue of King David with the prophet Nathan. The presence of the Lord in the time of the Israelites was important- as it still is today. Yet, they tended to move around a lot, so they only had a sort of tent for the presence of the Lord which would fill the Ark of the Covenant. This was the practice for a while, but it comes to this moment, when David begins to think, and begins to feel guilty. He thinks about how he has been letting the Lord dwell in a tent, while he lives in a house of cedar. So, he calls to Nathaniel, and asks for his blessing to build a temple for the Lord to stay with them in.
Nathan thinks the proposal is good- so he tells David to do as he sees fit. However, the Lord later speaks to Nathan, and gives him a message. On the surface, the message almost seems like the Lord is rebuffing David- but that is not quite what He is doing. He doesn’t necessarily want David to build a house, as that will later be the task of his son, but nonetheless the sentiment David extends to the Lord is well-received. He therefore tells that there will be a great house built David, not simply like the one he lives in now, but a house that will be one that endures for all-time. So, the Lord tells of the character of this house. However, notice, there is a prophetic element to this, beyond David’s own lifetime. We are told about how later there will be an heir that is sprung up to him, and he will be special. The Lord says “I will be a father to him, and he a son to me.” This shows that there is something great coming in David’s offspring in time- but it is impressive to think that this isn’t just about David at all- this is about what God is up to.
The second reading is taken from the letter of Saint Paul to the Romans, and it shows us Paul’s own version of what a doxology for his letter may look like- at least in this particular one. He speaks of a proclamation of Jesus Christ- and wants to make something very clear. Jesus is present to them- and that presence has been brought to them through the Gospel- and through prophetic utterances, and so many different ways. Yet, all of this leads to a point of what Saint Paul calls “obedience of faith.” This means that Paul is concerned that they, not only receive the word of God in their ears, but that they respond to it. God has revealed something to them, and so they are all charged with making some sort of response via their faith as well.
Finally, we arrive at the Gospel according to Luke, and this account has come up many times recently, and yet there is so much to glean from it, that this very same image comes to us yet again. It is that image of the Annunciation. As we hear this account, likely we can recite so many different things that are part of this image. We can tell how the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, how he invited her to be unafraid, how he gave her news of what she was to do- and also what Elizabeth herself was experiencing. All of these things cause Mary to have questions in her heart- and she voices these to Gabriel, who in turn tells her how these things are going to take place. As he speaks to her, she receives all of this news, and has one simple thing to say: behold I am the handmaid of the Lord. She responds in faith. She wants everything as it has been said to happen! She may not know how it will all take place, but that doesn’t matter, because she takes upon herself that role and becomes a dwelling place for God as Christ forms in her womb for nine months.
We hear so much about God dwelling in places and also His presence, especially in the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is the one who perfectly provides our God with a place to dwell, not just in a physical sense as we might be tempted to think, but also a spiritual one as well. Yet, the question becomes ever more precise- are we preparing a home for our God right now?
In the second reading, Paul speaks of the way that one is to assent to God in the obedience of faith. What this does not mean is that we are simply assenting to faith as an “or else” operation- but we do it because we ultimately trust God to be our source of happiness, joy, and fulfillment. This means that we are in the time where we are having many things revealed to us by God- and we should recognize this. God is still sending prophets in our own day and age to make sure that we recognize that God is coming to us- or that God wants us to live a certain way- or to simply trust him. Ultimately, we are to see these things as the invitation- as the announcement that the Lord is coming to us- and that He is looking for a response! We cannot just let that opportunity pass us by!
Second, in the first reading, we hear about how God is dwelling in a tent at this time in the Ark of the Covenant. God, ultimately, does not complain about His accommodations so much- but this does not mean that we leave Him outside. David wanted to build Him a house that was much more suited to Him, and that, while the Lord didn’t necessarily want the physical place at that time, was nonetheless something that did happen in time, and He was thrilled with the desire. Yet, it should cause us to think- do we have room for God right now in our hearts- much like when we welcome guests into our home? We, as a people, think it unacceptable to leave a house a wreck whenever we have important guests coming to visit us. The reality is, we prepare a place. We put things away, dust, sweep, mop, vacuum, and even throw things out to ensure that we are ready. Yet, do we do that with our souls? One specific application of this is- what kind of content do we consume in our free time? What shows to we watch? What movies do we enjoy? What music do we listen to? Each of these things- do they take up space in our spiritual home- or do they allow for God to come in and to dwell in our hearts? Would we blush if we had to watch something or listen to it with Christ sitting in the flesh with us? Then why do we excuse ourselves right now?
Then, finally, we have to recognize the ways that we can furnish ourselves better to receive the Lord. We should give Him the advantage of silence at times- especially in a noisy day and age. We should be willing to listen more intently to what He has to say! Perhaps that means just stopping for a few moments after Mass to simply say “thanks” instead of a “dine and dash” approach. Perhaps we should take more time to read some scriptures to further invite God in- or at least a good spiritual read. Perhaps we should look for more ways to practice charity- not just giving back to society at large, but to those in most need- and even those we may not want to help.
The reality is- each and every one of us have a home that needs to be prepared for a guest- not just a physical home, as many of us are used to- but a spiritual home- and it is to receive the greatest of all Guests- Christ Himself. We should busy ourselves with that work- He is being proclaimed to us- we should now respond to the invitation- we should clean our hearts and souls, and finally welcome Him in. Our Lord is coming and will not delay- is your house ready to receive Him?
