Advent 3rd Wk December 20, 2018
Reflection on the WORD
Mary: In today’s Gospel, when the angel Gabriel announced to Mary, “You will conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus.” Mary pondered on God’s Will and with great humility responded, “I am the handmaid of the Lord.” Are we open to God’s Will or do we only seek our own will?
Lk 26-33,38
The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. He went in and said to her, ‘Rejoice, you who enjoy God's favour! The Lord is with you.’
She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God's favour. Look! You are to conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.’
Mary said, ‘You see before you the Lord's servant, let it happen to me as you have said.’ And the angel left her.
Today's Pointers on God's Word
As you read the passage what words, phases or meanings caught your attention?
- •In today’s Gospel, Jesus’ incarnation takes place in God’s divine plan because Mary was able to say “Yes” to the Father’s Will.
- •We are each, in our little ways, called to live and witness to the Father’s Will daily by drawing others closer to God.
- •How conscious are we of the importance of the quality of our witness in our daily living as ways of building God’s Kingdom and the salvation of souls though us?