This year we go straight from the Fourth Sunday of Advent into Christmas. Usually, we see many people at Christmas Mass who stay away at other times. On the one hand, they feel drawn by the baby Jesus and on the other hand, they are afraid that if they make a commitment to Jesus and build a friendship with Him, they will have to follow His Commandments and teachings and these are not popular in today’s society.

Jesus is pro-life, but our culture isn’t.  Jesus lived in humility and simplicity, but our culture suffers from over-indulgence and consumerism.  Jesus was truthful, but our culture encourages deception, lies etc.  Jesus was faithful, but our culture encourages superficiality, hook-ups, divorce, and irresponsible quick fixes. The tug of our secular culture is very strong.

Life has become even more complex with modern error or gender ideology. Some people think they can actually change their God-given gender. But of course, this just doesn’t really work, and it creates a new range of problems and woundedness. It would have been a great help to many Catholics and others if an encyclical outlining God’s Plan written into creation and reaffirming the Church perennial teaching in this area were produced by the Pope. However, we have just a received a document from the Vatican which it seems can be interpreted in different ways to permit blessings of same-sex couples. We can certainly pray for people with SSA but it would not be helpful to their eternal salvation to reaffirm them in their sin. Instead, in charity we have a duty to lead people to repent of sin and lead a life of chastity in accordance with the Word of God. For single people,  this means a life of celibacy  for all, regardless of sexual orientation.

In today’s first reading, King David, who lived one thousand years before Christ, is promised that his dynasty will last forever! This will be fulfilled through Jesus, who in his humanity is a descendant of Kind David. His is an eternal everlasting Kingdom. God’s ways are not our ways. David, now that finally he has been given rest from his enemies, thinks that he should build a Temple for the Lord. However, it will be his son, King Solomon who will build this magnificent Temple in Jerusalem, which will be renowned throughout the world of its day for it splendour.

In the Gospel, Our Lady gives her perfect Yes to God Will at the Annunciation. This yes would find its fulfilment in the silent yes, she would repeat at the foot of the Cross. The Divine Will filled Our Lady with every gift and grace, due to the fact that she was destined to become the Mother of God. She is now termed by the Church, the Mediatrix of Graces and dispenses graces to whom she wishes, when she wishes. The miracle of Elizabeth’s pregnancy in her old age, would be a sign for Mary and out of charity and piety, Mary would go to the assistance of her cousin until the birth of St John the Baptist. Our Heavenly Mother could give her perfect yes at every moment of her existence because there was no sin in Her. She is tota pulchra, all pure and holy.  Let’s put our house in order this Christmas with a good Confession. In this way we will be correctly disposed also to give our yes, to God’s Will in each circumstance of our life. Our Lady Queen of the Divine Volition pray for us!