December 20 - (readings of the day)The story of the Annunciation has come up quite a lot this month. And it's a familiar story which may lead to the temptation to skip it, assuming that there is nothing new for me today. It's always a mistake!
The words of the angel touch me today. "Full of Grace." Again, having already meditated on these words I was trying to focus elsewhere but my attention kept going there. These words are so filled with Good News!
I remembered that another way of translating these words is: "you have found favor." She was "favored" by God in order to be part of the new story that God wants to write with us, as one of us.
Elsewhere Jesus talks about this also: "It was not you who chose me but I who chose you..." Once again, the words speak of a favored gaze that Jesus places on each one of us. Yet, another word reminds me that "God plays no favorite." Which means that those words are not spoken only to me but to everyone.
Not only by baptism I am "full of Grace," but I am also "favored." This means that God looks at each one of us in a particular way and this way makes us "favored" by Him.
What does it mean? The dictionary says that this adjective means "to be regarded or treated with preference or partiality: or 2. enjoying special advantages; privileged: (to be born into the favored classes)." Then, when I take the Words of the Angel I understand that God regards me and treats me with preference and that I enjoy a special privilege. The best part of this is that God thinks that everybody is now "favored," and therefore there is no competition among ourselves.
What is this special privilege that God bestows on me? It's His presence. "The Lord be with you." Indeed, this is the greatest gift one can have - God who moves from the heavens now into one's heart. It's a privilege that I have received as a gift. Nothing I did or that I am doing can make me worthy of such a presence. Sadly enough, I can reject it and void the privilege.
This happens because I have found "favor" with God. Do I believe that these words are now addressed to me? Do I even grasp the real meaning of these words? I find myself catapulted again in the great mystery of God's maddening Love for us and realize that if I believe that Christmas is real, it's the feast of the Impossible things made real, then I have to believe that I have found favor with Him and that He's now willing to live in me.
If this doesn't change one's life, I don't know what does. And how beautiful it is that this reality is given to us as a premise to the whole Gospel story. The Words of Jesus make sense if they can be lived "from within." Knowing that it is Jesus who lives in us, it is He who lives the Gospel in me. And I with Him, so that the day will come when I can say "it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me."
I want to enjoy this reality: I found favor with God. But enjoyment is not sufficient: I have to live accordingly so not to waste this gift.
How can my life change and reflect what God has done? How can I see my neighbor and remind myself that even he or she has found favor with God? How can I, then, treat my neighbor as "favored" by Jesus who lives in me?
I think this is going to start a new revolution! I can't wait to go out there and start living this new lifestyle - I am "Favored." This will be my new name today.
No comments:
Post a Comment