4th Sunday of Advent: Mary’s Story – Let Go, Let God!

(For an audio version of this reflection, click here)

On this fourth Sunday of Advent, we hear of the annunciation story of Mary. We have heard this story many times already that sometimes we do not get surprised anymore by the wonder of the story.  The story is about a simple poor Hebrew lass called Mary who freely accepted the mystery and wonder of God’s incarnation—God ’s entering into human history in flesh and blood. This unprecedented event in human history became possible because of Mary’s fiat—yes.

Mary represented humanity through her yes to the plan of the infinite God to enter the human race. Mary represents humanity’s deepest longing and long awaited coming of God. Mary’s yes represents all who freely accepted God’s wonderful gift of love and mission into their lives.  Mary’s wholehearted response is the model for all believers.

Still sounds abstract and esoteric? Let me borrow from outside the religious language—pop music. Let me use one of my most favorite song from the Beatles, Let it be.

Let it be is a Beatles song composed by Paul McCartney.  It is about Paul’s mother named Mary who appeared to him in a dream.  So Mother Mary in the song is not the Virgin Mary, although Paul was obviously aware that most listeners would take it that way. Paul’s actual mother died when he was young. In his own words, Paul reminisces on the inspiration behind the song,

I was going through a really difficult time around the autumn of 1968. It was late in the Beatles’ career and we had begun making a new album, a follow-up to the “White Album.” As a group we were starting to have problems. I think I was sensing the Beatles were breaking up, so I was staying up late at night, drinking, doing drugs, clubbing, the way a lot of people were at the time. I was really living and playing hard …

One night, somewhere between deep sleep and insomnia, I had the most comforting dream about my mother, who died when I was only 14. She had been a nurse, my mum, and very hardworking, because she wanted the best for us. We weren’t a well-off family- we didn’t have a car, we just about had a television – so both of my parents went out to work, and Mum contributed a good half to the family income. At night when she came home, she would cook, so we didn’t have a lot of time with each other. But she was just a very comforting presence in my life. And when she died, one of the difficulties I had, as the years went by, was that I couldn’t recall her face so easily. ..

So in this dream twelve years later, my mother appeared, and there was her face, completely clear, particularly her eyes, and she said to me very gently, very reassuringly: “Let it be.”

Let us examine the words of the song or better still sing the song.

When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be

And in my hour of darkness
She is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom
Let it be

Let it be may not be a religious song but it has meaningful parallelism with the annunciation story of Mary in the gospel today.

In the song, Mary, Paul’s mother comes like an angel whispering to him the words—let  it be. “Let it be” means to let go. Let it be are words of comfort meant to remind us not to think about sad things too much, to accept the bad things that have happened that we cannot change.

But this is not where the song stops. The song goes on to lift the listener up and out of his own life. Soon the song is singing about all the broken hearted people in the world, people who hate each other or are at war.

And when the broken-hearted people
Living in the world agree
There will be an answer
Let it be

For though they may be parted there is
Still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer
Let it be

This time the words “Let it be” takes on a more profound meaning.  “Let it be” does not only mean to just relax about our problems and accept bad things.  It means “let it happen”—let a new world, a happier and more peaceful world, become a reality.

In the annunciation story, the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and announced to her God’s wonderful plan of salvation by becoming human himself. God does not want to force his way into humanity, so God needed a human being who will freely allow God to be born in her womb. God chose Mary. Mary freely said yes to God’s sublime plan.

“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
Let it be done to me according to your word.”

Mary let God’s plan be done in her life. She did not interfere with God’s nature to offer their life and love to humanity. In other words, she did not refuse God to be God. Neither did she refuse to be herself. For Mary realized that she can only experience the fullness of her humanity by transcending her own needs, desires, and ambitions and connect them with the greater mission that God has in store for all humanity.  This is Mary’s let it be. Let God be God. Let human be human. Let go, let God. This is freeing!

Mary’s let it be, gives us an important lesson this Christmas. We should stop domesticating, controlling, and manipulating the spirit of Christmas. The center of Christmas is not about us but about God who gifted himself to us by being one like us.

We should give up defining the meaning of Christmas by commercializing and materializing the joy of Christmas. We should stop domesticating the spirit of Christmas by concealing and sugarcoating our personal and social sins. We should stop manipulating Christmas to our own agenda but let God’s sharing of his life inspire us to share our talents, time and resources especially to the poor and oppressed in society. We should return Christmas to Christ. We should once again put God at the center of Christmas. We should let Christmas be!

Mary is the quintessential embodiment of advent. Advent is waiting and preparing for the coming of the Lord. Advent is longing for God and letting God be God in our lives by opening the doors of our life to God’s love and life.

We are the new Mary’s of today.  Mary has given her yes.  Now it is our turn.  We need to see our lives woven in the story of the incarnation of God.  We are called to participate and cooperate in God’s wonderful plan and mission for all humanity.

Only then can we truly experience the meaning of Christmas.