Announcement of the Birth of Jesus

Today's Reflections 

 

Announcement of the Birth of Jesus

Lk 1:26-38
 

26The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, ²⁷to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸And coming to her, he said, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.” ²⁹But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.³⁰Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.

32He 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, ³³and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” ³⁴But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” ³⁵And 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. ³⁶And 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; ³⁷for nothing will be impossible for God.” ³⁸Mary 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.

Reflection:

She was greatly troubled. This is not the usual beautiful painting of Mary calmly praying and saying yes. She is greatly troubled because she knows she has to decide. She thinks for a while, then bravely decides, and stands by her decision, in spite of the possible questioning by her parents and especially the possible rejection by Joseph.

There comes a point when we need to decide that we are no longer children but adults, that life is not about ourselves only but about others as well, that either we just go through life or we live with life as we go through. And every decision opens a door of opportunity for us but closes on some previous habits. If we decide to get married, for example, we need to close the door on some practices of a single person.

I am the handmaid of the Lord,” Mary decides for herself. The question will leave us only when we have finally decided.

Instead of a list of resolutions for the New Year, make a list of things you need to decide on.