A Handmaid’s Homily- First Sunday of Advent
Being pregnant during Advent (which is this particular church lady’s dream), I was ready on Sunday to dive into the Theotokos narrative, to journey with Mary, the God Bearer, as she, too, neared the end of her pregnancy. And yet, we did not encounter Mary in this week’s readings. Instead, we heard an invitation to vigilance, to remain awake even in the darkest of times to greet the glimmer of hope that awaits us in the incarnation.
There is certainly quite a bit to be said to relate Luke’s depiction of a troubled world to our times today. We ourselves are “perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves” as we face the dire need to reverse climate change and care for our planet. Fear plagues our psyche as we watch hateful actions unfold day after day in our communities. We long for the promise of Love-made-flesh that Luke provides. And yet, despite the relevance of this week’s Gospel, I want to stay with Mary.
At yesterday’s Mass, the liturgist at my parish chose to include the Taize song Stay With Me. It was a tie to Luke’s call to remain aware and prepare for Christ’s coming. Yet, as we sang it, I interpreted it in a completely different light.
This prayer most often surfaces during the Lenten season as a depiction of Christ’s plea to the disciples to stay awake with him in the Garden of Gethsemane. As I prayed with the chant this week, though, I heard it coming from Mary’s lips. She was imploring Joseph to remain with her while she labored to give birth.
Stay with me. Remain here with me. Watch and pray. Watch and pray.
Imagine for a moment the vulnerability and fear Mary must have felt to be in an unfamiliar place, away from her community as early labor began. Elizabeth was not there to return the help that Mary provided to her; and, as far as we know, there were no midwives present in the manger. That meant her only source of support was Joseph, a man whose culture and tradition would have marked him unclean for being in the presence of a birthing and bleeding woman, someone who would have had no idea how to respond or what to do.
Stay with me. Remain here with me. Do not leave me alone. I need you here. You have to be my help. Get me through this.
Watch and pray. Watch and pray. Keep us safe in this unknown place. Pray for a safe and healthy baby.
We are called this Advent season to sit in the messy reality of the nativity sets that accent our bookshelves and mantles. Spend time in imaginative prayer with Mary and Joseph. Be with them in their fear as well as their hopeful anticipation. Seek out the holy image of God bearers in those considered least among us, most especially asylum seekers and refugees. Gaze in awe at the weight that they carry and the life that they bear. Set aside societal norms and barriers in order to walk with them. Labor with them no matter the cost.
Stay with me. Remain here with me. Watch and pray. Watch and pray.
