January 1, 2013 at The Cathedral of Our Lady in Oklahoma City, OK
Numbers 6, 22-27 + Psalm 67 + Galatians 4, 4-7 + Luke 2, 16-21
When I was in about the 7th or 8th grade, we lived in a parish on the north side of Indianapolis with a tough old Irish pastor. I was a regular altar server not much different from these young people here. I never paid much attention to the sermons, probably much like these young people here. I think I was usually busy looking around to see where my friends were sitting and trying to get their attention or hoping they were not looking if I messed up something.
Father “Mac” as he was called thought it was cool and thought he was giving a gift to the parish by never preaching on this holy day. And the end of the Gospel, he would just look up, smile, and say: “Happy New Year”! and off we’d go to the Creed and Collection.
I’m thinking of him today and tempted to follow his example, but not quite all the way. I am working on four talks I will give later this month at a Seminary in Missouri, so there are some very specific things in my mind right now as I prepare that I thought I would simply share with you by way of a pastor’s wish for you as we begin a new year.
Mary speaks four times in the Gospels: three times in Luke’s Gospel and one time in John. Her words recorded for us and all faithful Christian people are the wonderful advise of a mother God chose for us all, and the mother God chose to form, shape, and nurture the human nature of God’s only Son.
In Luke she speaks two times to an angel. She says:How can this be? Let it be done according to your word. Then she speak during her visit to Elizabeth and says: My soul magnifies the Lord. My Spirit rejoices in God my Savior. Finally, in John’s Gospel she says to her Son. “They have no wine.” Then turning to the wedding servants she says: “Do whatever he tells you.” Today I simply want to remind you of those words and of the wisdom they contain. Perhaps because she speaks so simply and rarely, what she says can stick with us and become for us in this new year a great source of peace.
When something goes wrong or not as planned; it is just fine to repeat her wisdom and wonder, “How can this be?” Not suspecting that God is picking on you or punishing you; but because somehow in that change of plans God’s plan for you might be revealed. When you discover that will of God in the mess of your plans, I would suggest you remember her second and wise says: “Let it be done according to your will.” and then get on with it. When you run out of steam, get tired, or all the joy seems to be slipping out of your life, look to her, and remember that she is the first to notice when the wine runs out. Then without any hesitation, follow her sage and wise motherly counsel: “Do whatever he tells you.”I suggest to you that if you can remember those four times and four spoken phrases, you are certainly going to have a Happy New Year everyone.