Daily Gospel Reflection
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March 25, 2020
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
And he came to her and said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”
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 holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.”
Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
In the middle of the penitential season of Lent and during the deeply troubling time of a global pandemic, today’s gospel announces a mystery of hope and joy. God becomes human like us.
The angel Gabriel’s greeting to Mary has been repeated by the faithful countless times through the ages in the opening words of the “Hail Mary” prayer: “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” This greeting tells us that Mary has been chosen by God for the holy task of bringing God’s only son into human history. This reading also shows us that Mary makes the choice to bear Jesus completely from her own free will. Mary’s “yes” to God marks a turning point in salvation history and sets her a paragon of discipleship for every generation of Christians who follow after her.
And yet, the gospel tells us that Mary was “perplexed” by the angel’s greeting. Even with her profound faith and trust, she must have felt some trepidation in this moment. She asks, “how can this be…?”
Most of us are now feeling a similar trepidation about the news that is announced to us each day. We wonder, “how can this be?” and we struggle to keep faith that God is with us. The angel tells Mary that the Holy Spirit will come upon her to make what he has announced possible. In these unsettling times, can we have the faith of Mary to believe that the Holy Spirit is with us? Can we imitate her total trust in God when we feel helpless?
Because of the global coronavirus pandemic, we must find new ways to celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation as our movements are restricted and we are unable to gather with one another. In light of these circumstances, FaithND collaborated up with the Snite Museum of Art at Notre Dame to offer a virtual walk-through of an exhibit dedicated to Mary and the Christ child titled, “Divine Illusions: Statue Paintings from Colonial South America.” The museum is temporarily closed to the public so it is our hope that this video will give many people access to this important exhibit. The gallery video is accompanied by the song “Sing of Mary” performed by the Notre Dame Liturgical Choir for a calming, meditative experience. In these trying times, we pray that we might draw closer to the mystery of the Annunciation through the beauty of art and song.
Prayer
Mary, when the angel announced his message, you surely did not know what was going to happen or where your new life would take you. But your trust in God was so great that you could simply say, ”May it be done to me according to your word.” On this Solemnity of the Annunciation, help us, your sons and daughters, to have that same kind of trust in God in good times and in bad. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Tradition has placed the feast of the Annunciation—the moment when Mary was visited by the angel Gabriel and conceived Jesus in her womb—exactly nine months before Christmas, on March 25. However, it is sometimes moved so that it does not fall during Holy Week, Easter Week, or on a Sunday.
The story of the Annunciation comes to us from the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke. Six months after the conception of John the Baptist, the angel Gabriel visited Mary, who was betrothed to Joseph, but not yet living in his household.
Gabriel greeted Mary by saying, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.” She was confused and troubled, and Gabriel explained, saying, “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.”
Gabriel went on to explain that the Holy Spirit will come upon her, and “the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.”
Mary’s response to this incredible invitation: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”
Today’s feast honors the Incarnation by which Jesus takes on our human nature, and it honors Mary for her crucial role in that gracious movement: all of salvation hinges on Mary’s “yes” in this moment. By her “yes” we, also, are destined for divinity. It is her acceptance of God’s call to bear Jesus to the world that gives us the courage and strength to bear Jesus to the world. It is her cooperation with the Word of God that gives our own humanity a share in God’s glory.
Gabriel’s visit to Mary is depicted in the Basilica in both stained glass and in a painted mural, as shown here today.
On this feast of the Annunciation, let us say “yes” with Mary to God’s invitation to bear Jesus to the world!