IS 7: 10-14; 8:10
PS 40: 7-8A, 8B-9, 10, 11
HEB 10: 4-10
LK 1: 26-38
Dear
Brothers and Sisters,
Today we celebrate the
Annunciation of our Lord, and I say celebrate because it truly is something to
celebrate in our faith. In our Gospel
reading today, we hear the story of the Angel Gabriel appearing to the Virgin
Mary to announce the special mission God has chosen for her, which is being the
mother of God’s only son. Despite Mary
being confused and frightened, she accepts God’s will for her as she says,
“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.” This feast day takes us back to the source of
spiritual joy and a pure example of following God’s will.
I think this is a story that is
often times heard but not truly processed. Take a few moments to put yourselves
in the shoes of Mary. Imagine that fear
that she was feeling. That fright that
filled her. All the questions she was wondering. What are other people going to think? How did this happen? Why did God choose me? What is Joseph going to do? How am I going to
have a child when I’m just a child?
As children of God, this is a
perfect example that teaches us to trust in our Lord and truly surrender to
what He has in store for each one of His children. Mary was asked to take upon a big mission,
and she did nothing but let His will be done unto her. I think this is very relatable to us because
sometimes it is easy to question what God is wanting from us. We wonder what God is doing in our lives. We are confused as to how God is working
within us. We feel as though we cannot
hear those small whispers God is giving us.
Through this story we are called to follow Mary’s example of answeing
God’s will for each of us, despite any fear, anxiety, nervousness, or confusion
we may be feeling.
A prayer that emphasizes the
importance of this feast day is the Angelus. The name of the prayer comes from
the Latin version of the first words, “The Angel.” The Angelus is prayer that invites people to
stop what they are doing and pause to pray, recalling the mystery of the
Incarnation. In this prayer, three Hail
Mary’s are said, representing the three main moments that enabled the
Incarnation to become to reality in our Salvation history. The first moment is during the Annunciation
when Gabriel announced to Mary that she was going to conceive and bear the Son
of God, the second moment is when Mary says “yes” to accept the mission God has
placed upon her, and the third moment is the consequence of her “yes” and what
this would mean for the world. This is a
great prayer to use to reflect on this feast day that we celebrate today. As we spend time in prayer with our Lord, it
is just another way God can break into our human experience and become one with
us in our daily lives.
Today, challenge yourself to
trust God a little more than you did yesterday and the day before that. Maybe even make this a challenge for yourself
this Lenten season. Spend time in prayer
telling God “yes” to whatever He wants for you.
Take comfort in this story and the way God used Mary as His instrument
of love and joy to know that throughout all that is happening in our lives, God
is also using us as His instrument of love and joy. Celebrate today!
Betty Goodwin is a first-year student studying education.
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