The Struggle to Commit

Devotional Reflection, Wednesday December 24, 2025

The Week of the Fourth Sunday in Advent

Christmas Eve

The Rev. David W. Perkins, Th.D.

Key Verses from today’s Gospel reading:

46 And Mary^* said,‘My soul magnifies the Lord, ⁴⁷   and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, ⁴⁸ for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.   Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; ⁴⁹ for the Mighty One has done great things for me,   and holy is his name.

Daily Office Readings AM Psalm  72; 2 Samuel 7:1-12; Titus 2:11-3:8a; Luke 39-56

Christmas Eve PM Psalm 89:1-29; Isaiah 59:15b-21; Philippians 2:5-9

You will find the full text of today’s Gospel reading at the end of this reflection.

David's Reflections

Many of you know that I'm from southwestern Louisiana, the Cajun country.  But you may not have heard about the recent discovery there of an ancient apocryphal gospel, The Gospel According to Boudreau.  Archaeologists digging in the French Quarter found this manuscript that evidently found its way to the south of France to Lyon in the second century and then to Louisiana in the 18th. Century.

Boudreau's account supplements the Lukan stories and, among other things, points out that the angels got rather frustrated and weary during the events recorded in Luke 1-2, because of the repeated visitations required to find people willing to respond.  The angel appeared first in the Temple to Hanniah, a priest and the husband of Esther, seeking parents for John the Baptist.  However, they wanted the opinion of an OB/GYN before they would believe that a new prophet would be born to them in their old age.  Only then did the angel have success with Zechariah and Elizabeth.

No such Gospel exists, of course.  But, we do tend to have rather naive images  of these people.  We rather blithely assume that in each instance the persons approached were the first.  And, we tend to think that some special quality in them was responsible for their choosing and that they found it easy and natural to believe and obey.  Of course, there are hints in Luke that Zechariah and Mary struggled with the revelations,  but those hints are so subtle that we usually don't make much of them.

I wonder about something.  There are moments when new ideas, holy ambitions, and daring spiritual desires occur.  Where do those come from?  Could it be that a Gabriel occasionally whispers in my ear?  And, what do I do with most of them?  Discount them?  Ignore them?  Retreat from them?

What would prompt Jesus to embark on such a nontraditional path, shattering people's expectations of the Coming One?  What divine whispers did he hear?  And, how did they occur?  He listened to that voice of the Spirit and went where it took him.  Because he lived in dependence on the Spirit, he can understand how tough it is for me to do so.  He can enable me to live more fully under the sway of the Spirit.

I would hope to be like Mary during this Advent.  No matter how hesitant I might initially be, and no matter how tough it might be for me to respond, let this Advent be the time of my most profound answering of God. As Mary put it, earlier in Luke 1, “‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” (v. 37).

Michael Ramsey, when Archbishop of Canterbury put the struggle to commit so poignantly and honestly in a sermon to those preparing for ordination.

You put yourself with God, empty perhaps, but hungry and thirsty for him;  and if in sincerity you cannot say that you want God you can perhaps tell him that you want to want him;  and if you cannot say even that perhaps you can say that you want to want to want him!  Thus you can be very near him in your naked sincerity and he will do the rest, drawing out from you longings deeper than you knew were there and pouring into you . . . trust and . . . love . . . .+

+Michael Ramsey, The Christian Priest Today, rev. ed. (Cambridge:  Cowley, 1987), pp. 14-15.

Collect of the Day, The fourth Sunday of Advent

Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.  (BCP, 212)

A Collect for Grace

Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, 100)

For a Church Convention

Almighty and everlasting Father, you have given the Holy Spirit to abide with us for ever: Bless, we pray, with the Spirit’s grace and presence, the bishops and the other clergy and the laity to be assembled in your Name, that your Church, being preserved in true faith and godly discipline, may fulfill all the mind of him who loved it and gave himself for it, your Son Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.  (BCP, 255)

A Collect for Early Evening

O Lord God Almighty, as you have taught us to call the evening, the morning, and the noonday one day; and have made the sun to know its going down: Dispel the darkness of our hearts, that by your brightness we may know you to be the true God and eternal light, living and reigning for ever and ever. Amen.  (BCP, 110)

A Collect for Mission

Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen. (BCP, 101)

Daily Office Gospel, Luke 1:39-56

39 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, ⁴⁰where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit ⁴²and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. ⁴³And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? ⁴⁴For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for joy. ⁴⁵And blessed is she who believed that there would be^* a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.’

46 And Mary^* said,‘My soul magnifies the Lord, ⁴⁷   and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, ⁴⁸ for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.   Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; ⁴⁹ for the Mighty One has done great things for me,   and holy is his name. ⁵⁰ His mercy is for those who fear him   from generation to generation. ⁵¹ He has shown strength with his arm;   he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. ⁵² He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,   and lifted up the lowly; ⁵³ he has filled the hungry with good things,   and sent the rich away empty. ⁵⁴ He has helped his servant Israel,   in remembrance of his mercy, ⁵⁵ according to the promise he made to our ancestors,   to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’

56 And Mary remained with her for about three months and then returned to her home.

Daily Offices in The Book of Common Prayer

Morning Prayer, Rite 2, page 75, The Book of Common Prayer

Noonday Prayer, page 103, Book of Common Prayer

Order of Worship for Evening (Vespers), p 109, Book of Common Prayer

Evening Prayer, Rite 2, page 115, Book of Common Prayer

Compline (Night Prayer), page 127, Book of Common Prayer

Daily Devotionals, page 136, Book of Common Prayer