WEDNESDAY, DEC 20
Luke 1: 26-38
In the sixth month,
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.
Grace: I ask for the grace to know Jesus in a deeper way that I may abundantly love and follow him.
Mary “pondered what sort of greeting this might be.” Mary, this young observant Jewish woman found the greeting of the angel Gabriel somewhat troubling. Many questions arose: How would Joseph and she bring shechinah (divine presence) into their marriage and immediate parenthood according to Jewish traditions? What about the laws of ritual purity, the miknah, the bridal ritual immersion before her wedding? How would she and Joseph fulfill their Jewish spiritual mission, to make a dwelling place for G-d in their marriage, they, now with child?
Yet Mary considered all of the message of the angel Gabriel with a discerning heart as one would today according to the guide of Ignatius Loyola: Ponder the message of the angel, celebrate her soul’s consolation and joy at the cousin Elizabeth’s conception, welcome the presence of the holy Spirit and the power of the Most High. At that moment, Mary’s concerns were resolved and no longer were these events beyond her grasp. Visiting with Elizabeth, Mary exclaimed her affirmation and her Magnificat.
The presence of the good angel in our lives brings the grace of understanding, the confident hope of fulfillment, and a sense of magnanimity that nothing is impossible for God.
For Reflection and Prayer:
When have I been caught off-guard by a seemingly impossible challenge in my life? How did I handle it?
When faced with a troubling announcement how do I look to the power of the Most High to overshadow me?
Mary said, “May it be done to me according to your word.” How is this response like the Suscipe, ‘Take Lord, receive, all that I am…”? Do I pray it often?
The Contributor:
Jan Davis, D.Min., relies on the wisdom of the Spiritual Exercises in her ministry of Spiritual Direction. She seeks to find God in all things, reflecting often upon the Examen of Consciousness. Jan teaches in the OST Magis Program which forms Spiritual Directors in Ignatian Spirituality.
Learn more about Magis Ignatian Spirituality Programs
Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No portion of this text may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner.