A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 1:26-38)
And coming to the virgin Mary, the angel Gabriel 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.”
Mary responds in at least three ways when the angel Gabriel comes to her. She is troubled that he should say she is full of grace and that the Lord is with her. Next, she asks Gabriel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And before he suddenly departs, she says, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” The three responses offer insights into the spiritual life of Mary. First, she showed humility in her response to being called full of grace, that the Lord was with her. There is also her ability to dwell on and discern how God works in her and through her. Second, she questions how she will conceive, eliminating human intervention and allowing Gabriel to tell her how this will happen: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” Finally, without a moment to process what any of this means, she says yes to God. Mary shows us the way to humility, reason and discernment in understanding God’s will, and cooperation with his grace. Above all, as the Mother of God she shows us the way to her Son.
God, in Mary’s encounter with the angel, I see a kind of clarity in Mary’s communication with him that I am likely never to experience in my life. Yet, because Mary was conceived without original sin, she had no inclination toward it that would obstruct her view of your will. In perfect clarity, Gabriel communicated her role in salvation history, and in a state of perfect grace, Mary said yes to your holy will. Lord, give me the grace to remove the barriers that prevent me from hearing you and knowing your will. Once understanding it, help me follow through in cooperating with every good gift of yours that is meant to be shared.
From the Gospel acclamation: “Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women.” Blessed Virgin Mary, pray for us!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.