Announcement of the Birth of Jesus

Today's Reflections

Announcement of the Birth of Jesus 

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Lk 1:26-38

²⁶In the sixth month, the 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:

You have found favor with God. How good God is to Mary! God has made her full of grace. God favors her and offers her to be the Mother of his own Son. God promises that the Holy Spirit will come upon her and the power of the Most High will overshadow her. God graces Mary more than any other creature.

How receptive Mary is to the grace of God, and how she surrenders to his will! She says to Gabriel (and to God who has sent the angel): “Behold, I am the slave-girl of the Lord. O may it be done to me according to your word.”

Let us imitate Mary, the highly favored daughter of God and the obedient slave-girl of the Lord.

God’s grace and our response

—this is what will make us great.