We celebrate today the feast of the Annunciation, the event that commemorates the visit of the angel to Mary who brought her the Good News of the Incarnation. This is the beginning of the greatest adventure ever. This is an invitation for all of us to enter into the event and partake of the Good News.
"May it be done to me according to your word." I think these are the most beautiful words spoken by Mary. This also reminds us of what we are supposed to live this week. Yesterday we reflected on what we must do if we "want to see Jesus." Like the grain of wheat, we are asked to die in order to bear fruit. We die to ourselves, to our pride, selfish tendencies. But I was also thinking that it's important to find the right kind of soil in which the grain of wheat. Mary reminds us that the soil in which we must die is the Word of God. We don't simply "die" to ourselves to be better people. We "die" to ourselves so that we can be more like Jesus. In order to do this, we must allow the Gospel to form, inform and shape us. Mary does not let her own fear or preoccupations to take over. She says the most beautiful of Yes because it's a yes based on the Word of God and not on our own understanding.
This response is possible because Mary engaged the Good News brought to her by the angel. "You have found favor with God." What happens to us when we discover that we are someone's favorite? Maybe we were the teacher's favorite? or we know someone important or popular and we are their favorite friend? Something interesting happens to us: our confidence is boosted because we realized that we have been seen, appreciated, valued by someone else, someone we consider important. God considers us "favored," and He sees us, appreciates us and values us. We don't have to do anything to merit this love. We, however, are asked to take it, enjoy it and let it shape our lives.
How much does God love us? trust us? Does He really consider us "favored?" The angel tells Mary: "You will conceive... a son." This is how far God trusts us: He gives us Himself. He gives us Himself in His Word, in His Body and Blood, in each other. What are we going to do with this gift? Can we be trusted?
"How can this be since...?" It's a fair question. Mary must have been quite shocked by this Good News. We, too, tend to question what God wants to do. I think it's quite a normal reaction. The angel does not engage in arguments or further discussions. He points Mary to the source of all this: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you." Sometimes we can say to God: "how can this be since I am too busy, too old, too young, too ..." and God reminds us that we are not required to do impossible things but only to say Yes and in faith enter into a fellowship and partnership with Him. We are not only told what to do but we are also empowered by the Holy Spirit to do it. It is God who does "impossible things."
Mary responds by herself and keeps in her heart this incredible secret: there is no prohibition to talk about it but she knows that there are certain things that are meant to be kept in our hearts.
"Behold, your cousin Elizabeth..." A sign is given, a sign that was not requested. God gives us a lot of people who are really a sign for us, a sign that is given to us so that our faith, our strength and our hope can be restored and rekindled. These are saints. It's good for us to keep an eye on them and let their lives inspire us.
"Then the angel departed." This departure signs the beginning of the great adventure of humankind. Now, God who was only in heaven lives in our midst. He is closer to us than we can imagine. This is the Good News that we bring to the world: we are not alone, God has not left us orphans.
If we say Yes to the Word of God, Jesus will be born in us and, like Mary, we can bring Him into the world. What a great task we are given. This is the time to live the Annunciation. This is the time we become it.
No comments:
Post a Comment