The Annunciation

"In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from GOD to a town of Galilee called Nazareth.  He was sent to a young virgin who was betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the family of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

The angel came to her and said, 'Rejoice, full of grace, the LORD is with you.'  Mary was troubled at these words, wondering what this greeting could mean.

But the angel said, 'Do not fear, Mary, for GOD has looked kindly on you.  You shall conceive and bear a son and you shall call him JESUS.  HE will be great and shall rightly be called Son of the Most High.  The LORD GOD will give HIM the kingdom of David, his ancestor; HE will rule over the people of Jacob forever and HIS reign shall have no end.'

Then Mary said to the angel, 'How can this be if I am a virgin?'  And the angel said to her, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore, the holy child to be born shall be called Son of GOD.  Even your relative Elizabeth is expecting a son in her old age, although she was unable to have a child, and she is now in her sixth month.  With GOD nothing is impossible.'

Then Mary said, 'I am the handmaid of the LORD, let it be done to me as you have said." - Luke 1:26-38 

(Only Mary could make known the mystery of JESUS' conception to the primitive church.  How could she express such an inner experience and how would it be reported?  Therefore, in writing, Luke had to use biblical words and forms that would allow us to understand the mysterious encounter of Mary with GOD.

 

I am the handmaid of the LORD... In saying this, Mary does not lower herself with false humility; instead, she expresses her faith and her surrender.  From her will be born the one who will be both the servant announced by the prophets and the only Son.

 

Many persons are mistaken about the word "servant" in that they view Almighty GOD as using HIS servants to HIS own ends without taking time to look at them and love them.  For them GOD would lose HIS greatness if HE were to give Mary authentic responsibility in the incarnation of her Son.

 

This is quite contrary to the spirit of the Bible.  GOD loves people, HE wishes, HE who is GOD, to experience human friendship.  GOD had no need of a woman to make a human body, but HE wanted to have a mother for HIS Son; and for Mary to really be that mother, it was necessary that GOD looked upon her with greater love than HE had for any other creature.  Thus, Mary is called full of grace.

 

Grace is what we call the power GOD has to heal our spirit, to instill in us the disposition to believe, and to make us resonate with the truth so that the expression of real love comes from us in a spontaneous way.  We call grace that which came from the living GOD to blossom on earth.

 

Mary is full of grace because JESUS was born of her as HE is born of the FATHER.  This is why the Church believes that Mary has a unique role in the work of our salvation.  She is the marvel that GOD achieved at the outset of transforming humankind into HIS image.)

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