Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”

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. This is the second time in a very short period that we hear this gospel reading. Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The Story behind this feast is one of conversion and a call to discipleship. The Angel Gabriel appears before Mary and tells her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” Today, we celebrate Mary saying yes to God and the Feast of Mary appearing before the people in Mexico and converting them to discipleship. Mary’s loyalty to God is exemplified in her response to the Angel. She does not know what lies ahead, but just that God is calling her. She does not know what the future holds nor what her son will go through in his life. We too are being called by God to be his servants. Do we take joy in answering yes? 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. We must not worry about the future but just be receptive to the calling. God will take care of the future, we must worry about the now. We must have faith that God will take care of us and lead us to his house. “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.

A Simple Prayer

Lord God in Heaven, you call me by name to be your disciple.

Help me find strength to say yes to your will.

Your Servant in Christ

Michael Marcon