Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according Saint 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.
The power of the Holy Spirit
1. The Virgin’s name was Mary. Mary went through so many unexpected and difficult situations in her lifetime! But, in the face of all the concerns about an uncertain future, she puts her trust and faith in God. I want to invite you to the same. Look at your present and learn to lead your life anchored in trust and faith in God. Don’t leave aside the joy that God proposes to you by living your life with Him. Obviously, there are many situations that don’t make you happy, but don’t lose hope and have confidence in God. And definitely, don’t come down on other people’s joy. You and I, who have faith and trust God, cannot allow ourselves to fall into sadness, because we have the joy of Christ and Mary.
2. The Lord is with you. I repeat this phrase many times as I go about my day: God is with me. He promises us that we are not alone. God never abandons us. A few days ago, I went to the correctional facility to see an inmate who is a friend of mine and he told me that on the wall next to his bed he had written the phrase “God is with me”. He said that when he felt sad or down, he would read it. How motivating this phrase is! It reminds you that beyond the crime or sin you may have committed, God is with you. People may abandon you, but God never will.
3. The Holy Spirit. St. Therese of the Child Jesus wrote some wonderful phrases, but many of the sisters in the community denied her authorship of them. Then she would say, “Well…basically, the Holy Spirit said that”. Let yourself be molded by the Holy Spirit. He always surprises us because He makes everything new. I am amazed at what He does and has done in me. Even with all my sins and littleness, He led me to become a priest and an evangelizer. I can only understand this from the perspective of His work. But I am sure that He also does many things in you and that is why today I invite you to think of three things that the Holy Spirit has worked in you.
Never forget 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.
