Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to 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.
The Annunciation
1. Her name. It talks about Mary’s identity. The Gospel tells us “her name” because each one of us is somebody, you’re not an avatar produced by someone else, you’re not the puppet of someone else. You have a history and a path to follow. Don’t make the mistake of giving your identity to someone else, so that the other person can transform you into what he or she wants you to be. Learn to respect your identity and respect yourself.
2. Rejoice. Of course, there are challenges in life, but we must never lose our joy and hope. It’s important to search for what encourages you and makes you enthusiastic about living. Joy is a more enduring state of contentment, while happiness is more transitory. Life may not bring you joy, but, with your attitude, you can find joy in things.
3. Nothing is impossible for God. This is something to remember because it can encourage you greatly. Life can change all of a sudden but it’s beautiful to know that God never leaves his work half done. Always have a supernatural look and don’t let anyone steal your dreams and projects, because if you pray and plan, then it can become a reality. The key is to try. That’s what life is all about: trying and trying again.
Always remember that something good is on the way!
God bless you and guard you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
