Tough Messenger for the Tough Question

Fourth Sunday of Advent

December 21, 2014

Luke 1:26-38

“The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God (Luke 1:30).”

Has someone ever asked you a tough question? Has your close friend posted life-changing invitation? Has the most important person in your life said a hurting yet eye-opening truth? These are the moments of truth, tipping points and crossroads of life since our answers to these questions will either make or break our destiny.

I remember for almost 12 years ago, my best friend invited me to accompany him to take an entrance exam into a minor seminary. I had no solid plan back then to become a priest, but told yes to my friend precisely because he was my closest companion. It was a rather thoughtless ‘yes’, but this same ‘yes’ has made my life never been the same again. Certainly, the invitation of my friend was not toughest one, but the one came from mother after she knew that I had passed the exam, “Bayu, do really want to enter seminary?” It was indeed a turning point of my life.

Our today’s Gospel narrates one of the loveliest stories in the Bible. We dearly call this episode, the Annunciation because it was here that the Angel Gabriel announced the Good News to Mary that she would be with a child, and this child shall become the One who redeemed the world. Rightfully, this drama of the Annunciation is the crunch time of humanity. This is because Gabriel dared to ask Mary a very tough, if not impossible, question. It surely confused, troubled and frightened Mary. "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?"  Fortunately, Mary gave her nod, and, as St. Bernard said, the entire word who awaited her answer, was relieved. Because of Mary’s Yes, the world has never been the same again.

Now, let us turn our eyes to less famous protagonist in the drama of Annunciation, the angel Gabriel. Surely, as the loyal and high angel of God, he has no doubt on the power of God, yet the problem is how to convince Mary to accept God’s will. We remember that Gabriel did the same mission to Zachariah and he ‘failed’ to get the priest’s nod. He then had to strike the man with muteness so he might learn his lesson. Fortunately, Gabriel did not need to silence Mary’s voice as he did to Zachariah.

Looking from this perspective, this mission seems to give Gabriel a lot of headache. He could have asked God to do His plan without him, or to send another angel like Michael. Yet, he knew well that somebody has to confront Mary with this tough question. This is a question that might bring confusion, perhaps fear and even hurt us. It shakes us, pulls us out from our comfort zone, and tear our old self apart. This is painful and troubling yet, without this question, we might miss to see our destiny, God’s will in our life. We might settle for less, become mediocre and even a loser.  This is the question that opens the fullness of life. Gabriel knew all of the pain trouble that he might cause to Mary, but his love to God and Mary is even bigger than any fear. He took the challenge and dared to throw the difficult question. Mary has to thank courageous Gabriel and we need to be grateful to brave persons who let us face these life-defining questions.

The season of Advent is a high time to reflect and recall these tough questions in our lives as well as the answers we gave to them. When the time comes, it is our mission also to confront our loved ones and ask these eye-opening questions. Mark Twain once said, “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” We need to thank persons who have dared to help us finding this ‘why’ and in turn, we have to assist our loved ones to find their ‘why’.

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP