full of grace, the Lord is with you!” Mary was troubled at these words, wondering what this greeting could mean. But the angel said,
“Do not fear, Mary, for God has looked kindly on you. You shall conceive and bear a son; and you shall call him Jesus. He will be great, and shall
rightly be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the kingdom of David, his ancestor; he will rule over the people of Jacob forever;
and his reign shall have no end.” Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will
come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore, the holy child to be born of you shall be called Son of God. Even your
relative, Elizabeth, is expecting a son in her old age, although she was unable to have a child; and she is now in her sixth month. With God nothing is
impossible.” Then Mary said, “I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me as you have said.” And the angel left her.
Reflection:
Angels do not randomly appear.
Each time, it is always with a purpose. For angels are
serious creatures with lots of things to do in behalf
of God. They do not spend their time frivolously. That
is why when the Angel Gabriel appeared to a girl
child in Nazareth, Mary was troubled. The heavenly
messenger is asking her to perform a ministry that
God has not asked anyone for thousands of years. Now
Mary’s annunciation is unique and unrepeatable.
But we too have our own little annunciations in our
lives. How do we square with Mary? Did we respond
with courage and bravery as she did? This gospel
tells us that courage and bravery comes in various
packages. And in this case, a young maiden from the
backwaters of Nazareth stunned not only the world,
but heaven as well with her courageous yes.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2021