Our scripture this morning is Luke 1:35 (RSV).
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 child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.”
There are several instances of angels appearing to people in scripture, but the interaction between Mary and Gabriel is especially poignant and a valuable lesson for us all. It would be more than most of us could handle, but Mary, even at her young age, is not only composed but asks an intelligent question: “How can this be?”
We need to learn from Mary’s example that it is alright to have reservations or concerns about what God asks of us. Sometimes God calls us to amazing tasks, like sharing the Good News of His kingdom with the world. He chose Mary for an especially difficult mission: to be the mother of Jesus.
What questions would we have had as the earthly parents of God’s own Son? Surely there would be concerns over the community response to this event, an unmarried couple with a child was not the normal sequence of events. However, Mary is the perfect example of discipleship, answering Gabriel “I am the Lord’s servant; let it be as you have said.” May we have the faith and courage to answer Him in the same way.
Loving Lord, we are sorry for the times we are afraid to say yes to Your call on our lives. Forgive us and send us to bring Your light and love to everyone. Amen.
