Gabriel the Annunciation

Annunciation of the Lord

April 4, 2005 Lk 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.

"Do not be afraid...nothing will be impossible for God." The angel first greeted Mary then told her not to be afraid. The whole story of the virgin birth and the birth of a child to an old and barren woman is for myself one of hope and the gift of life which comes only from God. For Mary it is an acceptance of what is to be. An act of the Holy Spirit will be the conception of the Lord, the son of God.

I do not see Mary as a completely passive agreeing and unquestioning woman. Mary honestly stated she does not know how this can be that she will conceive a child to be the son of God, but then she makes an active decision to accept the will of God. The will of God is not easy to accept at all times. For Mary, in some ways it meant to accept being on the outside or rejected side of her culture as a woman who was with child while she was betrothed. It meant risking the lose of the support and love of Joseph. I have always seen the birth of children as a miracle. It is a time of great danger and struggle for the mother. Every child is a great blessing and gift to the world.