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Gospel: Luke 1:26-38
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.
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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Some have narrowed the spiritual life down to three general movements: surprise, consolation, and desolation.
Mary experiences all three of them in today’s Gospel.
“Surprise” represents those unexpected moments in our lives when we see God acting – a new door opens; we get accepted into our dream college; we receive a promotion at work; we hear the call to priesthood, to marriage; or a prayer is answered.
In Mary’s case, the angel Gabriel appears to her, telling her that she shall bear the Son of God in her womb. Like us at times, she’s “surprised.” A new door has opened; her future has changed.
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When we’re “surprised” by God’s intervention, often he gives us his “consolation” – a feeling of deep peace and acceptance. We see this with Mary when she says, “May it be done unto me according to your word.”
Though she’s humbled by her future, she accepts it willingly and peacefully.
That feeling of peace lasts for an indefinite period of time – days, weeks, even years.
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But after the consolation leaves, often desolation follows. Desolation is the feeling of God’s absence. It’s what Jesus felt while nailed to the Cross as he cried out, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
Mary must’ve felt some desolation, too, after the angel Gabriel parted from her.
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So, what’s my own spiritual life like? Am I experiencing a moment of surprise? Is God doing something new, something unexpected? Am I experiencing consolation? Or am I feeling some desolation?
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In spite of the spiritual roller coaster she was on, Mary persevered.
So can we.
The key, in her words, is saying, “May it be done unto me according to your word.”
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Image credits: (1) Heartfulness (2) Annunciation, Fra Angelico (3) Mary’s Way, Pinterest