Annunciation of the Lord Lk 1,26-38

God chose as the human mother of His Son a humble Nazarene girl – the Virgin Mary. Surprised at this announcement, Mary asks the angel: “How does this happen?” The angel explains to her that it will happen by the power of the Holy Spirit, the power of the Highest, “to whom nothing is impossible.” The Virgin Mary knows from Isaiah’s predictions that the Messiah will be a man of sorrow. And for his sake, she will have to leave her Nazarene home to grieve for him and with him. She knows that this exaltation will be great but very painful at the same time. But when God asks for it, he gives his consent without hesitation. I am the Lord’s servant: “I am the Lord’s servant, let it be done to me according to your word.”

How important are these words of Our Lady! The eternal plan of God’s will was the redemption of humanity from sin. For this purpose, God chose the nation of Israel, from whom the Redeemer was to arise. He sent prophets to awaken in their faith in the coming of the Messiah who was to come “for the enlightenment of the Gentiles and the glory of the people of Israel.” And when the fullness of time had come, God sent the angel Gabriel to Mary to announce to her the Incarnation of the Redeemer of the world. And the Virgin Mary takes the right attitude, “I am the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to your word!” These words of hers, spoken in the quiet house of Nazareth, foreshadowed the fulfillment of God’s will throughout her life! Faithful to her word, she accepts without reservation every manifestation of God’s will and every circumstance that God permits. From the birth of the Savior to the cross of Calvary. The Lord entrusted her with the task and therefore gave her the strength and the abilities she needed. That is why God, through the mouth of the angel, utters the assurance, “Do not be afraid, Mary … The Lord is with you!”

Each of us has our perspectives, our plans, and our dreams. But we also have our annunciations by which God intervenes in our lives from time to time, and He wants us to conform to His plan. He doesn’t use an angel to do that. Often it is our conscience, a book, a friend, an event. He announces and waits. We can decide. We can also refuse. But we can’t make the excuse that God has to choose someone else; as long as it’s us, He’s asking. The Lord God may find another man to fulfill His purpose, but we will not find another God for our salvation … And that is why the Virgin Mary is an excellent example to us in doing God’s will.

An old legend was recorded in the old readings about how God wanted to help a man who only fed himself by hunting and often went hungry. He, thus, showered him with wheat from heaven. But before the man could understand God’s gift, the devil pounced on the grain. He ground the grain furiously among the stones, and what he did not crush, he buried it in the ground and poured water over it so that it would rot. But the man took the wet flour from the grain ground by the devil, laid it on the hot stone, and baked the first bread. The buried and watered wheat sprang up, and the man learned to sow and reap it. And so, the devil, who wanted to destroy God’s gift, helped God’s purpose. The legend expresses what our people today lack and what our ancestors could do: believe in God’s providence. No one destroys or thwarts God’s purposes. Thy will be done! This is the strength, the courage that brings peace into our lives and in our every decision. Even when the intentions of God’s will are not immediately apparent and understandable to us, when we realize that God is always with us and by our side, that He is an invisible but practical helper in every task He calls us to, our decisions can be easy. “I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.”