Luke 1:26-27
In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary.
In Jesus' time, a key was an important symbol of royal authority. When a king went on campaign, he left the "keys to the kingdom" with a steward who ruled in his place. Whatever he decided while the king was away was law. For us today, having a key is still a big deal: maybe it's finally getting the car keys from dad, a key to your new house, or being entrusted with keys at work. When someone gives us a key, it means they entrust us with some degree of power and we are expected to use it wisely.
Jesus is a descendant of David, the king. When the Israelites anticipated a messiah, they were looking for David himself, or at least a warrior king like him. Instead, they got Jesus who, with true authority, would liberate his people not from earthly rulers, but from the darkness of sin and death. Jesus is the "key of David" who frees us from the oppression of our own sins, our past mistakes and failures. He even delivers us from the fear of death! Today, as we get closer to Christmas, can you let Jesus be the true authority in your life?
Get to know our seminarians! Today's reflection was written by:
Zach Brasseur, Pastoral Year at St. Timothy's
Home parish: St. Paul, St. Petersburg
Did you know...
Zach is a native of St. Petersburg where he grew up with his parents and three sisters. His favorite Advent/Christmas songs are "O Come O Come Emmanuel", "Bring a Torch Jeanette Isabella", and "I Saw Three Ships".
Pray with us for the men and women discerning the priesthood and religious life. To pray for our seminarians by name or to find out more about the Diocese of St. Petersburg vocations office, click here.
