Joyful Mysteries - Annunciation
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 the 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 you womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the 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 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.
Luke 1:26-38
Angel Gabriel goes forth into the world with the announcement and a greeting, to a young girl named Mary. This is a daughter of the people, Israel, and she as one of them is invited to know the messianic joy that the people of the covenant have long awaited. The Holy One has chosen to enter humanity as a human being. The whole of salvation history, in some sense the entire history of the world, has led up to this point. This is not just annunciation, but it is also conception, the incarnation of the Word made flesh. Mary's response is fear, reflection, questioning, even objections followed by acceptance. She becomes the instrument of grace, destined to bring salvation, through the action of Jesus, to all humanity.
Mary's acceptance of this mystery is a model for us in staying open to the incursions of the divine into our life. In our prayer to Mary we can replicate in some small way the bringing forth of Christ. May we reflect upon this mystery of the Word seeded in each of us at our baptisms and gladly become servants among people. May we rejoice with Mary that He has come to us. May we receive Christ along with Mary and bring him forth to others in our risen life.