"I am the handmaid of the Lord"
Gospel Lk 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.
With one Yes Comes the Salvation of All
by Jose Paulo Gonzales
Have you ever had a moment when you felt as if you were completely lost in the wilderness but chose nevertheless to trust in the Lord?
Today's Gospel reminds us of the merits of trusting.
There was this person I knew who all the way from childhood to college, had most of his life planned out leading to his career; but in the middle of it all, he felt empty. He felt as if he could never find satisfaction in life, and so, feeling that he was wondering (and wandering!) was of a spiritual kind, he sought answers and solace in the seminary. Now he is 4 years inside the seminary.
Mary was a young virgin who showed remarkable piety when she was greeted by Angel Gabriel; not knowing what kind of greeting it was let alone what to make of it, she was troubled to a great degree. This is something with which we can relate. When we are given a reason for concern, if we do not know much about what was given, we tend to be perplexed. We feel as if we are left in the dark; but Mary, with her worries allayed by Angel Gabriel, said in assent: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord. [...Let it] be done unto me according to Your Word." Mary did not know what would come of her "Yes" but gave it accordingly to the Lord, hanging on Gabriel's words of comfort: "No word from God will ever fail."
In moments of uncertainty, especially in matters of life and spirit, there is much we can pick up from the faithfulness of Mary. From time yonder to this day, we have in Mary a role model in these ways:
1. To trust in the Lord even if we do not know the way, knowing that He Himself is the Way
2. To bring Christ within us as His living tabernacles in the same way Mary bore Christ as the "theotokos" or God bearer.
Our foremost consolation is this: if we lay our trust with the One who loves us most, would we have any more reason to be worried?
Prayer
Lord, thank You for the gift of Christ this Christmas. We have in Christ not only One like us but more so One who saves us all through His sacrificial love. May the faithfulness of His love and His word permeate our souls that like Mary, we can only utter with all willingness our "Yes."
In the undertakings this will entail, please be our light, sanctification, sustenance, protection, consolation, and salvation.
These, we ask, in Jesus' most holy Name,
Amen.
Gift for Jesus
At least one pack of goods for a brother or sister in need and one thank you note to a loved one recounting what it is you are thankful to him or her for.
.
Jose Paulo Gonzales considers himself as a wounded pilgrim who can only get by in life through Christ
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