As we near our celebration of Christmas, the saint we celebrate today is St Dominic of Silos, a Spanish monk who lived in the 11th century. As a young boy, he spent time in the fields around his home, relishing the quiet and solitude. He became a Benedictine monk and priest. Over a dispute of property with the king of Navarre, Dominic and several other monks were sent into exile, so they moved to a remote struggling monastery in the small town of Silos. Dominic became the abbot there. This monastery became well-known for its book design, scholarship, and charity to the poor. It attracted the faithful from all over the region as a place of healing. The monastery also became a center of the Spanish Mozarabic liturgy, and it helped preserve the Visigothic script of ancient Spain. The monastery and town was named after St Dominic of Silos after he death in 1074. At the time of his death, the monastery had 40 monks. Interestingly, the monastery became well-known as a center of Gregorian chant in the 20th century, we a recording of their chants becoming a best selling album in 1994 in the United States and Europe.
In our Gospel reading today, we hear the annunciation, the announcement made by the Angel Gabriel to Mary about the upcoming birth of Jesus. The angel tells Mary: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” We can imagine how Mary initially reacted to the announcement. Like Mary, we can have fear of the unknown and the unimaginable. Sometimes, God can call us to a place that can be frightening or disconcerting. It is not only Mary who has the responsibility to carry out God’s will in her life. All of us have that responsibility as disciples of Christ. We are to take the Good News of Christ we receive and to apply it to our vocation and with the interactions we have with others.
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