Gospel of Luke, chapter 1:35

David Frost’s beautiful poem, ‘The Death of a Hired Man’, distills the essence of home as a dwelling place provided by those whose love is open and waiting but which you somehow need not deserve. Thus he, wrote:
“Home is the place where, when you have to go there,
they have to take you in. I should have called it
something you somehow haven’t to deserve.”

Today’s message is about preparing a home for the Lord. David, the greatest king of Israel, planned to build a magnificent home or temple for the Lord. As it turned out, David was rather presumptions in thinking that he could take care of God. After reminding David of the right order of things, the Lord God told David that He, on the other hand, would establish a home that would outlast David and his big home plans because the Lord’s home would be based in the hearts of those who do His will.

In today’s scripture (Luke 1:35) a messenger from God comes to Mary in a remote village called Nazareth, to prepare a home for the Lord. This young woman was to be the dwelling place of God’s own Son. Her hesitancy was that of a faith-filled woman who sought to understand God’s startling message. Without pretense or presumption, Mary’s awareness of God’s will dawned on her as gently as the morning dew. She welcomed God’s Son; she made a place for Him in her womb; and found her place in doing God’s will.

“Let it be done to me as you say.”

Mary was chosen to provide a home, heart and soul, for the Lord.

In Mary, we find love open and waiting, always waiting. It is for us also to be a dwelling place for God’s son. Let these days after Christmas be days when we prepare ourselves to become fitting dwelling places for Emmanuel, God-with-us. To recognize that we will never be truly at home until we find God within us is a great blessing. Thus, the poet Wordsworth reminds us that:
“Trailing clouds of Glory do we come, from God who is our Home.”

Fr Hugh Duffy