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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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On Wednesday, we heard Joseph’s account of the Annunciation. An angel appeared to him in a dream, encouraging him to take the miraculously pregnant Mary into his home.
Today we roll back in time, hearing Mary’s account of the story.
The angel Gabriel promises that she’ll conceive the Son of God in her womb. Her initial reaction is that of fear and confusion. “How can this be?” she wonders. But Gabriel consoles her, “Do not be afraid. You have found favor with God!”
Mary was afraid for several reasons. First, she’s staring at angel! Who of us has ever seen a divine creature before? Secondly, as their conversation ensues, she begins to realize what is at stake.
She’s about to become a mom. There’s no guarantee that Joseph will accept the news. No guarantee that Mary will be accepted. No guarantee Joseph will help her to raise this child.
Yet, without consulting anyone, Mary solemnly declares:
“Let it be done unto me according to your word.”
She surrenders to the angel, because she loves God more than Joseph, more than her future, even more than herself.
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Thus, the Christmas story begins with Mary’s fulfillment of the Law, which states: “You shall love the Lord your God with all of your mind, body, heart, and soul.”
Mary was willing to risk everything in order to glorify God.
Can we do the same?
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As we prepare to meet the Christ-child this Christmas, perhaps we might consider:
Does God come first in my life? Or, at times, do other people or things take a higher priority?
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May the Blessed Mother, who accepted God’s providence in her life, pray that we would do the same. May it be done unto us according to His Word.
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Image credits: (1) The Anunciation, Fra Angelico (2) We Dare to Say (3) Church of the Ascension