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Meditation: Luke 1:26-38

The Annunciation of the Lord

Do not be afraid, Mary. (Luke 1:30)

How hard it must have been for Mary to accept the angel’s words! First, he told her that her marriage plans were going to change dramatically. Then, when she heard that she would conceive a child “by the Spirit,” she must have worried that Joseph might leave her. And if she were left pregnant with no husband, that likely meant rejection by her townsfolk and a life of shame and hardship.

God sure knows how to lay a heavy burden on a person, doesn’t he? Mary was left troubled, confused, and afraid. So why was she able to say yes to the angel’s invitation? Because Mary was full of grace.

Grace is a gift that God has freely given to all of us. There are many kinds of grace. For example, God gives us the grace of salvation, the grace to believe, and the grace to die to ourselves. God gave Mary an “enabling grace,” which moved her to say, “May it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).

This grace of God acts like the fuel we use to make a car go. It is God’s power at work in us, both to choose and to work “for his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13). Now, even with all the grace that God had given her, Mary still needed to take hold of it and apply it to her life—just as a car filled with gas won’t go anywhere unless we turn it on, put it in gear, and begin to drive.

The angel assured Mary that nothing is “impossible for God” (Luke 1:37). Our Father can do whatever he wants, whenever and wherever he wants. But for some reason, he prefers to do his work in and through us. So as we celebrate this great day when Mary submitted to God’s will, let’s make the same decision. Let’s make sure we are open to the possibility that God may want to change some of our plans. Let’s all say, “I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word.”

“Holy Mary, we honor you for the way you gave up your plans and submitted yourself to God completely. Teach us to do the same.”

Isaiah 7:10-14; 8:10; Psalm 40:7-11; Hebrews 10:4-10

A Christian Pilgrim

25 Mar

TO BE THE MOTHER OF THE WORLD’S REDEEMER [LUKE 1:26-38]

(Solemnity: THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD)

Many of us think we have a right to be made happy, as though it were everyone else’s duty to brighten our day by doing exactly what our feelings desire.

If anything is clear to us in Holy Scripture, it is this: those whom God loved best were surrounded by sorrows and trials and even great tragedies. And yet they were deeply happy; they spoke and sang of their joys. They praised God and thanked Him for the very things that many of us would complain about bitterly.

Mary, the Mother of Jesus, led a life of unglamorous poverty. God had promised her His grace; she would be the Mother of the world’s Redeemer, but this would bring her no personal wealth or earthly favors, no assurance of the world’s honors and attentions. Indeed, when she brought her child to the temple, the old man Simeon prophesied that her soul would be pierced by the sword of suffering (Luke 2:35).

When the angel’s joyful news came to her, “You shall bear a Son, and He shall save His people” (Luke 1:30-33). Mary accepted willingly, saying that she was the servant of God (Luke 1:38). But she spent no time congratulating herself on making demands of God or neighbor. Rather, she thought of others. Her cousin Elizabeth was with child in her advanced years. So Mary made the long trip and spent three months in the service of Elizabeth and Zechariah (Luke 1:39-56).

Like Mary, those of us who will ever experience true joy must find it within ourselves. No one else can give it to you – but if you really want it, it is available from God, who promised it to those who search for it.