A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 1:26-38)
And the angel said to [Mary] 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.
When the angel appears to Mary, he tells her that it is through the power of the Most High that Mary is to conceive the child Jesus. Through his birth, with Mary as his mother, Jesus is both the Son of David and the Son of Mary. In the Annunciation, we hear an echo of the words from the first reading, where God, speaking through Nathan the prophet, says: “I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins, and I will make his kingdom firm. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me.” In Mary’s obedience, God’s will is fulfilled in bringing forth the Savior who redeems humanity from sin, offering the gift of eternal life with the Father in the kingdom of heaven.
God, help me understand that what takes place in the Annunciation also takes place within me as I approach you in faith. Mary’s fiat is a confirmation of trust in you, that you deliver on every promise you make. As you say through the psalmist, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant: Forever will I confirm your posterity and establish your throne for all generations.” In the fulfillment of your promises through Jesus Christ your Son, you are with me wherever I go. Nothing is impossible for you. Help me say yes to you, to let it be done to me according to your word.
From the first reading: “And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins, and I will make his kingdom firm. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever.”
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.