Announcement of the Birth of Jesus

Today's Reflections

Announcement of the Birth of Jesus 

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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:

I am the handmaid of the Lord. On December 8, 1854, Pope Pius IX declared the Immaculate Conception a dogma of faith. Long before this, however, there was widespread recognition and acceptance of the important role that Mary played in the incarnation of Jesus.

God loves humankind. When sin enters the world, God decides to send his only Son to redeem humanity. God’s plan will be fulfilled with the cooperation of a virgin from a town of Galilee called Nazareth. To prepare this woman to bear God’s Son by the power of the Holy Spirit, God preserves her from any stain of sin right from the first moment of her conception in her mother’s womb.

When Mary hears God’s invitation from the angel Gabriel, she voices total and unconditional submission to God’s will, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”

Like Mary, let us give our unconditional yes to God.

Like Mary, let us give our unconditional yes to God.