Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her. (Luke 1:38 NLT)
By Fr. Chris Lee OFR
Day 2 – Discovery
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.” Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her. (Luke 1:26-38 NLT)
Each time I read this, I picture a young woman going about her normal day to day routine. Nothing unusual, just what we might call a typical day. When all of a sudden she is greeted by an angel of God. Now, this is no ordinary angel, it is the Archangel Gabriel! Can you imagine that moment? Not only has Heaven’s spokesperson appeared, but the announcement that she, Mary, would give birth to the Savior of the World! Never mind the mechanics, can you imagine the responsibility, the honor, which she an ordinary girl would become the Christ bearer (Theotokos).
Interior Questions:
- Why did God choose Mary?
- Can God chose me to do the impossible?