Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
Lectionary: 545
Lectionary: 545
The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying:
Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God;
let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky!
But Ahaz answered,
“I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!”
Then Isaiah said:
Listen, O house of David!
Is it not enough for you to weary people,
must you also weary my God?
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us!”
Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God;
let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky!
But Ahaz answered,
“I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!”
Then Isaiah said:
Listen, O house of David!
Is it not enough for you to weary people,
must you also weary my God?
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us!”
Responsorial
Psalm40:7-8A, 8B-9, 10, 11
R. (8a and
9a) Here I
am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Holocausts or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, “Behold I come.”
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
“In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!”
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Your justice I kept not hid within my heart;
your faithfulness and your salvation I have spoken of;
I have made no secret of your kindness and your truth
in the vast assembly.
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Holocausts or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, “Behold I come.”
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
“In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!”
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Your justice I kept not hid within my heart;
your faithfulness and your salvation I have spoken of;
I have made no secret of your kindness and your truth
in the vast assembly.
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Reading 2HEB 10:4-10
Brothers and sisters:
It is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats
take away sins.
For this reason, when Christ came into the world, he said:
It is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats
take away sins.
For this reason, when Christ came into the world, he said:
“Sacrifice and offering you did
not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
in holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight.
Then I said, ‘As is written of me in the scroll,
behold, I come to do your will, O God.’”
but a body you prepared for me;
in holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight.
Then I said, ‘As is written of me in the scroll,
behold, I come to do your will, O God.’”
First he says, “Sacrifices and
offerings,
holocausts and sin offerings,
you neither desired nor delighted in.”
These are offered according to the law.
Then he says, “Behold, I come to do your will.”
He takes away the first to establish the second.
By this “will,” we have been consecrated
through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all.
holocausts and sin offerings,
you neither desired nor delighted in.”
These are offered according to the law.
Then he says, “Behold, I come to do your will.”
He takes away the first to establish the second.
By this “will,” we have been consecrated
through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Verse Before
The GospelJN 1:14AB
The Word of God became flesh and
made his dwelling among us;
and we saw his glory.
and we saw his glory.
GospelLK 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.
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.
Meditation: "You have found favor with God"
How
does God reveal his favor to us? In the psalms we pray, "Lord, show me a
sign of your favor" (Psalm 86:17). In the Old Testament God performed many
signs and miracles to demonstrate his love and mercy for his people, such as
their deliverance from slavery in Egypt and the miraculous crossing of the Red
sea on dry land (Psalm 78:43-53). When Ahaz, king of Judah and heir to the
throne of David (735 B.C.) was surrounded by forces that threatened to destroy
him and his people, God offered him a sign to reassure him that God would not
abandon the promise he made to David and his descendants. King Ahaz, however,
had lost hope in God and refused to ask for a sign of favor. God, nonetheless,
gave a sign to assure his people that he would indeed give them a Savior who
would rule with peace and righteousness (Isaiah 7:11ff).
God's
unfolding plan of redemption
We see the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy and the unfolding of God's plan of redemption in the events leading up to the Incarnation, the birth of the Messiah King. The new era of salvation begins with the miraculous conception of Jesus in the womb of Mary. This child to be born is conceived by the gracious action of the Holy Spirit upon Mary, who finds favor with God (Luke 1:28). As Eve was the mother of all humanity doomed to sin, now Mary becomes the mother of the new Adam who will father a new humanity by his grace (Romans 5:12-21). This child to be conceived in her womb is the fulfillment of all God's promises. He will be "great" and "Son of the Most High" and "King" and his name shall be called "Jesus" (Luke 1:31-32), which means "the Lord saves." "He will save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). The angel repeats to Mary, the daughter of the house of David, the promise made to King David: "The Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end" (2 Samuel 7:12-16, Isaiah 9:6-7, Luke 1:32-33).
We see the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy and the unfolding of God's plan of redemption in the events leading up to the Incarnation, the birth of the Messiah King. The new era of salvation begins with the miraculous conception of Jesus in the womb of Mary. This child to be born is conceived by the gracious action of the Holy Spirit upon Mary, who finds favor with God (Luke 1:28). As Eve was the mother of all humanity doomed to sin, now Mary becomes the mother of the new Adam who will father a new humanity by his grace (Romans 5:12-21). This child to be conceived in her womb is the fulfillment of all God's promises. He will be "great" and "Son of the Most High" and "King" and his name shall be called "Jesus" (Luke 1:31-32), which means "the Lord saves." "He will save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). The angel repeats to Mary, the daughter of the house of David, the promise made to King David: "The Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end" (2 Samuel 7:12-16, Isaiah 9:6-7, Luke 1:32-33).
How
does Mary respond to the word of God delivered by the angel Gabriel? She knows
she is hearing something beyond human capability. It will surely take a miracle
which surpasses all that God has done previously. Her question, "how shall
this be, since I have no husband" is not prompted by doubt or skepticism,
but by wonderment! She is a true hearer of the Word and she immediately
responds with faith and trust. Mary's prompt response of "yes" to the
divine message is a model of faith for all believers.
Mary
believed God's promises even when they seemed impossible. She was full of grace
because she trusted that what God said was true and would be fulfilled. She was
willing and eager to do God's will, even if it seemed difficult or costly. Mary
is the "mother of God" because God becomes incarnate when he takes on
flesh in her womb. When we pray the ancient creed (Nicene Creed) we
state our confession of faith in this great mystery: "For us men and for
our salvation he came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit, he
became incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and was made man."
Trust
and yield to God's grace
God gives us grace and he expects us to respond with the same willingness, obedience, and heartfelt trust as Mary did. When God commands he also gives the help, strength, and means to respond. We can either yield to his grace or resist and go our own way. Do you believe in God's promises and do you yield to his grace?
God gives us grace and he expects us to respond with the same willingness, obedience, and heartfelt trust as Mary did. When God commands he also gives the help, strength, and means to respond. We can either yield to his grace or resist and go our own way. Do you believe in God's promises and do you yield to his grace?
"Heavenly
Father, you offer us abundant grace, mercy, and forgiveness through your Son,
Our Lord Jesus Christ. Help me to live a grace-filled life as Mary did by
believing in your promises and by giving you my unqualified 'yes' to your will
and plan for my life."
SOLEMNITY OF THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, LUKE 1:26-38
(Isaiah 7:10-14, 8:10; Psalm 40; Hebrews 10:4-10)
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, LUKE 1:26-38
(Isaiah 7:10-14, 8:10; Psalm 40; Hebrews 10:4-10)
KEY VERSE: "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God" (v. 30).
TO KNOW: Nine months before the Feast of the Nativity, the Church honors the Annunciation of the Lord's birth. After centuries of longing for the Messiah, the Archangel Gabriel announced the good news to a young woman in the obscure village of Nazareth. The virgin's name was Mary (Hebrew, Miryam, "the exalted one"). The angel told Mary that she had found favor with God and would bear a son, whom she was to name Jesus (Hebrew, Yeshua, 'Yahweh saves'). Mary was deeply troubled by the angel's message, but she was told not to be afraid since God's Son had been conceived by the Holy Spirit. The "Son of the Most High" (v. 32) would rule eternally over the "house of Jacob" (v. 33) fulfilling the promise made to King David (2 Sm 7:16). Mary was given a sign to prove that "nothing was impossible with God" (Lk 1:37); Elizabeth, her kinswoman, had conceived a son in her old age. Mary responded with faithful submission to the will of God (fiat, "Let it be done"). Mary is the new Eve. While Eve grasped the forbidden fruit, Mary received the Divine fruit of her womb. Mary's dispositions of waiting, fidelity and praise are necessary virtues for all Christians.
TO LOVE: Can I say with Mary: "Be it done unto me according to your will"?
TO SERVE: Blessed Mother, help me to obey God's will as you did.
Wednesday 25 March 2020
The Annunciation of the Lord
Isaiah 7:10-14, 8:10. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your
will – Psalm 39(40):7-11. Hebrews 10:4-10. Luke 1:26-38.
‘Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.’
Today we are invited to meet Mary, a young woman called into
motherhood and a plan beyond her imagination. She is terrified and yet somehow
says ‘Yes!’
God’s dream for us is larger than what we plan for ourselves. If
we open our hearts fully in our relationship to our God, and in connecting and
engaging in the world, there are undoubtedly twists and turns in our journey.
We will be taken beyond the safe and the comfortable life we might have
imagined for ourselves. Indeed, as Frederick Buechner assures us, ‘the place
God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s
deep hunger meet’. Mary was filled with such gladness (Luke 1:46-55) in her
call to bring great life to the world. Let’s take time today to ponder Luke’s
account of the Annunciation, attending to what moves within us as we pray.
Annunciation of the Lord
Saint of the Day for March 25
 |
| The Annunciation | Leonardo da Vinci |
The Story of the Annunciation of the Lord
The feast of the Annunciation, now recognized as a solemnity,
was first celebrated in the fourth or fifth century. Its central focus is the
Incarnation: God has become one of us. From all eternity God had decided that
the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity should become human. Now, as Luke
1:26-38 tells us, the decision is being realized. The God-Man embraces all
humanity, indeed all creation, to bring it to God in one great act of love.
Because human beings have rejected God, Jesus will accept a life of suffering
and an agonizing death: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s
life for one’s friends” (John 15:13).
Mary has an important role to play in God’s plan. From all
eternity, God destined her to be the mother of Jesus and closely related to him
in the creation and redemption of the world. We could say that God’s decrees of
creation and redemption are joined in the decree of Incarnation. Because Mary
is God’s instrument in the Incarnation, she has a role to play with Jesus in
creation and redemption. It is a God-given role. It is God’s grace from
beginning to end. Mary becomes the eminent figure she is only by God’s grace.
She is the empty space where God could act. Everything she is she owes to the
Trinity.
Mary is the virgin-mother who fulfills Isaiah 7:14 in a way
that Isaiah could not have imagined. She is united with her son in carrying out
the will of God (Psalm 40:8-9; Hebrews 10:7-9; Luke 1:38).
Together with Jesus, the privileged and graced Mary is the link
between heaven and earth. She is the human being who best, after Jesus,
exemplifies the possibilities of human existence. She received into her
lowliness the infinite love of God. She shows how an ordinary human being can
reflect God in the ordinary circumstances of life. She exemplifies what the
Church and every member of the Church is meant to become. She is the ultimate
product of the creative and redemptive power of God. She manifests what the
Incarnation is meant to accomplish for all of us.
Reflection
Sometimes spiritual writers are accused of putting Mary on a
pedestal and thereby, discouraging ordinary humans from imitating her. Perhaps
such an observation is misguided. God did put Mary on a pedestal and has put
all human beings on a pedestal. We have scarcely begun to realize the
magnificence of divine grace, the wonder of God’s freely given love. The marvel
of Mary—even in the midst of her very ordinary life—is God’s shout to us to
wake up to the marvelous creatures that we all are by divine design.
Lectio
Divina: The Annunciation of the Lord
Lectio Divina
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
God’s covenant with humanity
Mary’s yes and our yes
Luke 1:26-38
Mary’s yes and our yes
Luke 1:26-38
1. Opening prayer
Merciful Father, in this holy time of prayer and of listening to
Your Word, send also to me Your holy angel that I may receive the proclamation
of salvation and that, after opening my heart, I may offer my yes to Love. Let,
I beg You, the Holy Spirit overshadow me as an overwhelming power. From now on,
Father, I do not wish to express anything other than my “Yes!” and to say to
You: “Behold, I am here for You. Do unto me whatever pleases You.” Amen.
2. Reading
a) The context of the passage:
The story of the annunciation takes us from the temple, a holy
place par excellence, to the house, to the intimacy of a personal meeting of
God with His creature; it leads us into ourselves, into the deepest part of our
being and our story, where God alone can reach and touch us. The announcement
of the birth of John the Baptist had opened the sterile womb of Elizabeth, thus
overcoming the absolute powerlessness of humankind and transforming it into the
ability to collaborate with God. On the other hand, the announcement of the
birth of Jesus, knocks on the door of a fertile womb of the one who is “full of
grace” and awaits a reply: it is God who waits for our yes so as to work
everything in us.
b) An aid to the reading of this passage:
vv. 26-27: The first two verses place us at the time and sacred
space of the event on which we are meditating and which we relive: we are in
the sixth month from the conception of John the Baptist and in Nazareth, a city
in Galilee, the land of the marginalized and unclean. Here God has come down to
speak with a virgin, to speak to our hearts.
The people involved in this unsettling event are presented to
us: Gabriel, the messenger of God, a young woman called Mary and her spouse
Joseph of the royal house of David. We too are made welcome into this company
and are called to enter into the mystery.
vv. 28-29: These are the very first words of the dialogue
between God and His creature: just a few words, a mere breath, but all-powerful
words that disturb the heart, that question deeply the meaning of human life,
plans and expectations. The angel announces joy, grace and the presence of God;
Mary is disturbed and asks herself how can any of this be happening to her.
Where can such a joy come from? How can such a great grace, that can change her
very being, be hers?
vv. 30-33: These are the central verses of the excerpt: it is
the explosion of the announcement, the manifestation of the gift of God, of His
omnipotence in the life of human beings. Gabriel, the strong, speaks of Jesus:
the eternal king, the Savior, the God made child, the humble all-powerful. He
speaks of Mary, of her womb, of her life that she was chosen to be the gateway
to welcoming God in this world and into the lives of all people. Even at this
stage of the events, God begins to draw near, to knock. He stands, attentive,
by the door of the heart of Mary, and even now by our house, our hearts…
v. 34: Mary, faced with God’s proposal, allows herself to stand
naked. She allows herself to be read to her very depths. She speaks of herself,
her heart, her wishes. She knows that for God the impossible is possible; she
does not doubt or harden her heart and mind; she does not count the cost;
she only wants to be fully available, open, and allows herself to be reached by
that humanly impossible touch, but one already written, already realized in
God. In a gesture of utter poverty, she places before God her virginity, her
not knowing man. This is a complete and absolute surrender of self, full of
faith and trust. It is her preliminary yes.
vv. 35-37: God, most humble, gives an answer; the all-powerful
bends over the fragility of this woman, who represents each one of us. The
dialogue continues; the covenant grows and is strengthened. God reveals the
how. He speaks of the Holy Spirit, of the fruitful overshadowing, which does no
violence, does not break, but preserves intact. He speaks of the human
experience of Elizabeth. He reveals another impossible thing made possible;
almost like a guarantee or security. And then comes the last word when one must
make a choice: to say yes or no, believe or doubt, dissolve or harden oneself,
to open the door or close it. “Nothing is impossible for God.”
v. 38: The last verse seems to contain an infinity. Mary says
her “Here I am.” She opens herself wide to God and then the meeting, the union
takes place forever. God enters into the human and the human becomes the place
of God: these are the most sublime nuptials possible on earth. And yet, the
Gospel ends on a sad and hard note: Mary stays alone; the angel leaves. What
remains, however, is the yes pronounced to God and God’s presence; what remains
is real life.
c) The Text:
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.
3. A moment of prayerful silence
I have read and listened to the words of the Gospel. Now I stand
in silence … God is present, at the door, and asks for shelter, yes, even from
me and from my poor life …
4. A few questions
a) God’s announcement, His angel, enters my life, stands before
me and speaks to me. Am I prepared to welcome Him, to give Him space, to listen
to Him attentively?
b) Suddenly I receive an upsetting announcement. God speaks to
me of joy, grace and presence: all the things that I have been seeking for so
long, always. Who can make me really happy? Am I willing to trust in His
happiness and His presence?
c) Not much is needed, just a movement of the heart, of my
being; He is already aware of this. He is already overwhelming me with light
and love. He says to me, “You have found favor in My sight.” So, I please
God? He finds me pleasant, loveable? Yes, that is how it really is. Why is it
that I would not believe it before? Why have I not listened to Him?
d) The Lord Jesus wants to come into this world also through me;
He wants to reach my brothers and sisters through the paths of my life, of my
being. Would I lead Him astray? Would I refuse Him, keep Him at a distance?
Would I wipe Him out of my story, my life?
5. A key to the reading
Some important and strong words that resonate in this Gospel
passage.
● Rejoice!
This is a really strange greeting from God to His creature; it
seems hard to explain and perhaps even senseless. And yet, for centuries it
resonated in the pages of Sacred Scripture and thus also on the lips of the Hebrew
people. Rejoice, be glad, exult! Many times the prophets had repeated this
gentle breath of God and had shouted the silent beat of His heart for His
people, His remnant. I read this in Joel: “Land, do not be afraid; be glad,
rejoice, for Yahweh has done great things… (2:21-23); in Zephaniah: “Shout for
joy, daughter of Zion, Israel, shout aloud! Rejoice, exult with all your heart,
daughter of Jerusalem! Yahweh has repealed your sentence” (3:14); in Zechariah:
“Sing, rejoice, daughter of Zion, for now I am coming to live among you –
Yahweh declares!” (2, 14). I read and listen to it today; I say it also in my
heart, in my life; a joy is announced to me, a new happiness, never before
experienced. I rediscover the great things that the Lord has done for me; I
experience the freedom that comes from His pardon: I am no longer sentenced,
but graced forever; I live the experience of the presence of the Lord next to
me, in me. Yes, He has come to dwell in our midst; He is once more setting up
His tent in the land of my heart, of my existence. Lord, as the psalm says, You
rejoice in Your creatures (Ps 104:31); and I too rejoice in You, give thanks to
You; my joy is in You (Ps 104:34).
● The Lord is with you
These simple and enlightened words, pronounced by the angel
to Mary, release an all-powerful force; I realize that these words alone would
suffice to save my life, to lift me up again from whatever fall or humiliation,
to bring me back when I go astray. The fact that He, my Lord, is with me, keeps
me alive, gives me courage and trust to go on being. If I am, it is because He
is with me. Who knows but that the experience of Isaac told in Scripture might
not be valid for me, when one day Abimelech came to Isaac with his men to tell
him, “It became clear to us that Yahweh was with you” (Gen 26:28) and then
asked to become friends and form an alliance. Would that the same thing might
be said of me; would that I could show that the Lord is truly with me, in my
life, in my desires, in my affections, in my choices and actions; would that
others might meet Him through me. Perhaps for this, it is necessary for me to
absorb more of the presence of God, for me to eat and drink of Him.
Let me go to the school of Scripture, to read and re-read some
passages where the voice of the Lord tells me again and again of this truth
and, while He speaks, to be transformed, ever more in-dwelt. “Remain for the
present in that country; I shall be with you and bless you” (Gen 26:3). “To
Joshua son of Nun, Yahweh gave this order: Be strong and stand firm, for you
are to be the one to bring the Israelites into the country which I have
promised them on oath, and I myself shall be with you” (Deut 31:23). “They will
fight against you but will not overcome you, because I am with you to save you and
rescue you” (Jer 15:20). “The angel of Yahweh appeared to him and said: Yahweh
is with you, valiant warrior!” (Judg 6:12). “Yahweh appeared to him the same
night and said, ‘I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I
am with you. I shall bless you and multiply your offspring for My servant
Abraham’s sake’” (Gen 26:24). “Be sure, I am with you; I shall keep you safe
wherever you go, and bring you back to this country, for I shall never desert
you until I have done what I have promised you” (Gen 28:15). “Do not be afraid,
for I am with you; do not be alarmed, for I am your God. I give you strength,
truly I help you, truly I hold you firm with my saving right hand” (Is 41:10)
● Do not be afraid
The Bible is packed with this pronouncement full of kindness;
like a river of mercy, these words are found throughout the sacred books, from
Genesis to the Apocalypse. It is the Father who repeats to His children not to
be afraid, because He is with them; He will not abandon them; He will not
forget them; He will not leave them in the hands of their enemies. It is like a
declaration of love from God to humanity, to each one of us; it is a pledge of
fidelity that is relayed from hand to hand, from heart to heart, and finally
comes down to us. Abraham heard these words and after him his son Isaac, then
the patriarchs, Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon and, with them, Jeremiah and all
the prophets. No one is excluded from this embrace of salvation that the Father
offers His children, even those farthest from Him, most rebellious against Him.
Mary knows how to listen to these words and knows how to believe full of faith,
in an attitude of absolute surrender. She listens and believes, welcomes
and lives for us too. She is the strong and courageous woman who opens herself
to the coming of God, letting go of all fears, incredulity and a closed spirit.
She repeats these same words of God in our lives and invites us to believe like
her.
● You enjoy God’s favor
“Lord, if I enjoy favor in your sight…”. This is the prayer that
time and time again comes out of the lips and hearts of those who seek refuge
in the Lord. The Scriptures tell us about such people. We come across
them in our crossroads when we know not where to go, when we feel hounded by
solitude or by temptation, when we experience abandonment, betrayals, heavy
defeats of our own existence. When we no longer have anyone and we fail to find
even ourselves, then we too, like them, find ourselves praying by repeating
these same words: “Lord, if I enjoy favor in your sight…”. Who knows how often
we have repeated these words, even alone and in silence. But today, here in
this simple passage of the Gospel, we are forestalled, we are welcomed in
anticipation; we need no longer plead, because we have already found everything
that we always sought and much more. We have received freely. We are
overwhelmed and now we can overflow!
● Nothing is impossible to God
I have nearly come to the end of this strong journey of grace
and liberation; I now come across a word that shakes me in my depths. My faith
is being sifted; the Lord is testing me, scrutinizing me, testing my heart.
What the angel says here in front of Mary, had already been proclaimed many
times in the Old Testament; now the time has come for the fulfilment; now
all the impossible things come to pass. God becomes man; the Lord becomes
friend, brother; the distant is very close. And I, even I, small and poor as I
am, am given to share in the immensity of this gift, this grace; I am told that
in my life too the impossible becomes possible. I only have to believe, to give
my consent. But this means that I have to allow myself to be shattered by the
power of God; to surrender to Him, who will transform me, free me and renew me.
Not even this is impossible. Yes, I can be reborn today, here and now, by the
grace of the voice that has spoken to me, that has reached me even to the very
depths of my heart. I seek and transcribe the passages of Scripture that repeat
this truth. And as I write them, as I re-read them and say them slowly,
devouring every word, and what they say takes place in me… Genesis 18:14; Job
42:2; Jeremiah 32:17; Jeremiah 32:27; Zechariah 8:6; Matthew 19:26; Luke 18:27.
● Here I am
Now I cannot escape, nor can I avoid the conclusion. I knew from
the beginning that here, in this word, so small and yet so full, so final, that
God was waiting for me. The appointment of love, of the covenant between Him
and me had been fixed precisely on this word, just a gentle voice, just a kiss.
I am unsettled by the richness of the presence I feel in this “Here I am!”; I
need not make much effort to recall the number of times that God first
pronounced and repeated these words to me. He is the ‘Here I am’ made man, absolutely
faithful, unforgettable. I only need to tune into Him, only find His footprints
in the sand of my poverty, of my desert; I only need to welcome His infinite
love that never ceases to seek me, to stay close to me, to walk with me
wherever I go. The “Here I am” has already been pronounced and realized. It is
already real. How many before me and how many today have experienced this! I am
not alone. I still remain silent, listening before I reply…
“Here I am!” (Is 65:1) God repeats; Mary replies, “Here I am, I
am the servant of the Lord”; and Christ says, “I come to do Your will” (Ps
39:8)…
6. A time of prayer: Psalm 138
Father, into Your hands I commend my life.
Yahweh, You examine me and know me,
You know when I sit, when I rise,
You understand my thoughts from afar.
You watch when I walk or lie down,
You know every detail of my conduct.
A word is not yet on my tongue before You,
Yahweh, know all about it.
You fence me in, behind and in front,
You have laid Your hand upon me.
Such amazing knowledge is beyond me,
a height to which I cannot attain.
Where shall I go to escape Your spirit?
Where shall I flee from Your presence?
If I scale the heavens You are there,
if I lie flat in Sheol, there You are.
You know when I sit, when I rise,
You understand my thoughts from afar.
You watch when I walk or lie down,
You know every detail of my conduct.
A word is not yet on my tongue before You,
Yahweh, know all about it.
You fence me in, behind and in front,
You have laid Your hand upon me.
Such amazing knowledge is beyond me,
a height to which I cannot attain.
Where shall I go to escape Your spirit?
Where shall I flee from Your presence?
If I scale the heavens You are there,
if I lie flat in Sheol, there You are.
You created my inmost self,
knit me together in my mother's womb.
For so many marvels I thank You;
a wonder am I, and all Your works are wonders.
You knew me through and through,
How hard for me to grasp Your thoughts,
how many, God, there are!
If I count them, they are more than the grains of sand;
if I come to an end, I am still with You.
God, examine me and know my heart,
test me and know my concerns.
Make sure that I am not on my way to ruin,
and guide me on the road to eternity.
knit me together in my mother's womb.
For so many marvels I thank You;
a wonder am I, and all Your works are wonders.
You knew me through and through,
How hard for me to grasp Your thoughts,
how many, God, there are!
If I count them, they are more than the grains of sand;
if I come to an end, I am still with You.
God, examine me and know my heart,
test me and know my concerns.
Make sure that I am not on my way to ruin,
and guide me on the road to eternity.
7. Closing prayer
Father, You came down to me; You have come to me; You have
touched my heart; You have spoken to me and promised joy, presence and
salvation. By the grace of the Holy Spirit, who overshadows me, I, together
with Mary, have been able to say to You yes, the “Here I am” of my life for
you. Now there remains only the force of Your promise, of Your truth: “You are
to conceive and bear Jesus.” Lord, here is the womb of my life, of my being, of
all that I am and have, open before You. I place all things in You, in Your
heart. Enter, come, come down again, I beg You, and make me fruitful, make me
one who gives birth to Christ in this world. May the overflowing love I receive
from You find its fullness and truth in touching the brothers and sisters that
You place beside me. May our meeting, Father, be open, a gift to all. May Jesus
be the Savior. Amen.
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