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.
Rejoice!
1. Mary. Today, we are contemplating Mary. A woman who is surprised by God but does not run away from his proposal. She agrees to it and accepts it with faith. Like Mary, you also have to take on situations of life through your faith, when you don’t understand something or when you aren’t so clear about what is happening. You may even ask, “Why is this happening to me?” In those circumstances, lean on Mary because she is an example of trust and total surrender to God. You can say to God, “I don’t understand why or what’s going on, but may your will be done.”
2. Fear not. Don’t fear to be open to what God asks of you and to do His will. You may find it difficult or feel afraid when God entrusts you with a mission, but He never leaves you on your own. God is always by your side giving you the grace to move forward, and guiding your efforts. As Saint Augustine said, “Grant me the grace to do as you command, and command me to do what you will!”
3. The Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who acts in us. You have the fire of the Holy Spirit in your hands and in your heart. You received the Holy Spirit in your Baptism and He was affirmed in you in the sacrament of your Confirmation. This is why it is important for you to ask Jesus for one of the seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost. I guess you know which they are, don’t you? Well, if you don’t, check it out and ask for one, the one you need most.
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.
