Daily Gospel Reflection
Join the Notre Dame family of faith. Receive God’s Word and a unique reflection in your inbox each day.
December 20, 2022
In the sixth month,
the angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“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.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.
By this point in the Advent season, we are surrounded by beautiful nativity scenes, and we are (mostly) prepared to celebrate the profound joy of Christmas.
However, today’s gospel takes us back to the Annunciation and reminds us that although Christmas brings joy, this journey to the nativity began with fear and uncertainty. Mary’s words, “How can this be?” resonate with me each time I read this gospel passage. Her shock and disbelief are entirely relatable to any of us questioning God’s call.
And yet, Mary does what each of us should do in these moments. She responds with total faith and trust, despite her worries and disbelief. She accepts without complete understanding, holding fast to her faith that God will never call her to something without walking beside her to see it through.
I remember reading this passage last year as we were experiencing a miscarriage just days before Christmas. I found myself echoing Mary’s words: “How can this be?” and then finding solace in her example of faith and trust and the reminder that God was walking with me, even during such confusion and sadness.
This year, as I read this passage, we are expecting another baby, and I take solace in knowing that God is walking with us here, too, in the joy, anticipation, and anxiety of this journey.
The reality is that Mary’s fiat reminds us of the truth in all of our lives: whenever we respond to God’s call with a yes, we are never sure exactly what we are saying yes to. Like Mary, we trust that God will be with us wherever that road leads.
Prayer
Eternal God, Author of Life, through the “Yes” of our Blessed Mother, the yoke of sin and death was broken and the gates of salvation were opened to the human race. We pray in thanksgiving for Mary’s trust in, and obedience to, your holy will. As we approach the blessed season of Christmas, may we echo her words “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” We ask this in the name of Christ the Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Vincenzo Romano was canonized on October 14, 2018, in Rome by Pope Francis. Vincenzo was canonized alongside Pope Paul VI, Oscar Romero, and four others. Vincenzo's hands-on ministry in his hometown earned him the sobriquet "The Worker Priest," and he presents a model for pastors everywhere of simple, self-giving holiness.
On June 3, 1751, Nicola Luca and Maria Grazia Romano welcomed their third son to the family. They baptized him Vincenzo, after their favorite saint, the miracle-working Dominican, St. Vincent Ferrer. The young Vincenzo developed a love for Jesus from a young age. He read the widely-published devotions of St. Alphonsus Ligouri and he fostered a deep devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. Early in his childhood, it became clear that Vincenzo was going to follow in his older brother Pietro's footsteps and become a priest. His father briefly tried to persuade him to be a goldsmith but he quickly saw that that was a lost cause.
Despite some difficulties finding a patron to pay for his seminary education, Vincenzo began studying for ordination in Naples at the age of fourteen. He was ordained a priest on June 10, 1775. He celebrated his first Mass in his home parish of Santa Croce, in his hometown of Torre del Greco. Fortuitously, he was assigned to Torre del Greco as his first assignment as a young priest. He became well-loved by the orphans and poor of Torre del Greco, among whom he worked with seemingly unlimited energy.
During the summer of 1794, the irascible Mount Vesuvius erupted and showered ash and destruction on Torre del Greco. Vincenzo's beloved Santa Croce sustained damage as well, and Vincenzo lived up to his nickname "The Worker Priest" by organizing the efforts to rebuild the church building.
Vincenzo dedicated his homilies to catechetical instruction of his parishioners, and he devoted himself to proper Christian formation for everyone—from the poorest child in the parish to each of the seminarians in his care. Vincenzo died on December 20, 1831, and is buried in his beloved Santa Croce.
Vincenzo did not write acclaimed theological treatises or travel very far from his hometown, but he is a universal witness to holiness. He cared for his flock faithfully in times of natural disaster and in the simple everyday struggles of communal life. Vincenzo lived Christ's humble, hidden life in Nazareth in Torre del Greco, and his faithful imitation of Christ has yielded the Church a new saint and a beautiful model of faithful priesthood.
St. Vincenzo Romano, tireless shepherd for the people of God—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Vincenzo Romano is in the public domain. Last accessed November 21, 2024 on Wikimedia Commons.
