"The angel Gabriel was sent from God"

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Gospel Reading 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.

In today’s Gospel reading, we hear the story of the Annunciation. The Angel Gabriel appeared before Mary and tells 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.” At that exact time, what do you think went through Mary’s mind? First, she was visited by an angel, and secondly, she was told by the angel that she will bear the son of God. When the angel greets her, he knows she will be scared so he says to her, “Do not be afraid.” The first thing he does is calm any fear she may have so she can openly hear the Word of God. Mary does not question the commandment of God, but responds with absolute wonder and awe. She doesn’t respond, “This cannot be!”, but replies, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” The angel tells her, “for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary responds with total commitment, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”

Every single one of us is called into the service of God. How do we respond to God when he calls upon us? Do we react with the same wonder and awe that Mary did? Do we respond with doubt or do we respond with the joy and amazement which would show that we are a handmaid of the Lord. It says that the Holy Spirit came upon her and overshadowed her. The same power of the Holy Spirit is available to us. If we call upon God, He will send the Holy Spirit to us. Through our Baptism, the fire of the Holy Spirit is lit within us. We are called to grow in faith and service to our Lord. Once we have matured spiritually, we are again called to finalize our Baptism and again be sealed with the Holy Spirit so that we may go out into the community and preach the Word of God. If we are willing to be the handmaid of the Lord, He will overshadow us “for with God nothing will be impossible.” When we encounter Christ, the first thing we must overcome is fear. Anytime a person encounters an angel, the first thing they say is, “Do not be afraid.” When we encounter Christ, the first thing we should hear is, “Do not be afraid.” He is there to hold us and protect us. He is there to guide us. Do not be afraid, because God has found favor in you. God has blessed you with many graces. We should take time today to inventory the graces which God has given us and to hear what God is calling us to do. Do not be afraid at what you hear for all things are possible in God.

A Simple Prayer

Lord God in Heaven, you call me by name.

You call me to be your handmaid.

Help me to hear and understand my calling.

Give me the strength to accept my challenge

With the wonder and awe as Mary did.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon