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Gospel: Luke 1: 26-38
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.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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In his book, No Man is an Island, Thomas Merton insists upon the importance of community. We need the strength that comes from sharing our lives with others.
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In today’s Gospel, for example, the Angel Gabriel announces God’s plan for Mary. She’s to become the Mother of God, a tremendous responsibility; one she cannot bear alone.
To ensure that Mary never becomes an island – that she’s never isolated – the Lord blesses her with friends along the way.
Today we find the Angel Gabriel. Tomorrow she’ll visit Elizabeth.
After giving birth to Jesus, Joseph and the shepherds will surround her.
Even as Jesus dies upon the Cross, the Apostle John is there to comfort her, and bring her into his home.
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Mary never journeyed alone.
Neither should we.
Who are the friends the Lord has given me along my journey? And equally, how am I that friend for others?
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As Merton reminds us, “No man – no person – is an island.”
Friends are given to enrich us and strengthen us along the way.
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