Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 1, 26-38
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.
An Angel sent from God
1. Her name was Mary. I believe that her name defines and manifests who she was. Today you must consider the fact that God gave you an identity; you have a life history and also a path, a call, and a mission. Are you clear about your mission? Don’t let depression take over, because when you don’t know what to do, you may end up not knowing who you are. Look, laziness is an ally of sadness and sadness is an ally of hopelessness. When these three things live in you, they can destroy your life. Laziness leads you to do nothing for yourself and makes you wait for someone else to do everything. Sadness leads you to take an attitude of not wanting to do anything for yourself or for anyone else and hopelessness leads you to not think about your future or anyone else’s future.
2. Rejoice. Confidence and supernatural vision help you overcome the feelings of sadness and hopelessness. Remember that God brought you into this world for a purpose and you have a mission which is part of your identity. It is essential that you realize that you must take joy to others; and you can achieve that joy through the grace of God. It’s a gift from God that makes you want to live and fall in love with life. Grace is knowing that God himself is in you.
3. May it be done. Knowing how to trust in God and placing yourself in his hands, helps you to fear nothing. Ask Mary today to help you to have more faith, to trust and to abandon yourself in God. For he who trusts in God does not despair. Mary is an example of docility. She teaches us that what God has thought for us is beyond our dreams. Remember that God does not allow himself to be outdone in generosity. Mary is your example today.
Always remember that something good is on the way!
God bless you, be with you and protect you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
