Daily Gospel Reflection
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March 25, 2021
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.
When Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word,” she changed the course of human history forever. Her “yes” made it possible for God to become human in the person of Jesus Christ. Her “yes” was the first word of Christian discipleship.
As a parent, I can still remember the times that I learned I was pregnant. Even for pregnancies that I hoped for and tried for, these moments were overwhelming in their powerful emotions. There was true joy but there was also apprehension and anxiety. I can only imagine the range of emotions that Mary experienced in this strange interaction with the angel Gabriel. And she still said, “yes.”
This gospel challenges us to consider how we can say, “yes,” in our time: yes to God, and yes life.
I read recently that nearly 3 million women have dropped out of the American workforce since the start of the pandemic. With limited options for childcare and restricted in-person school instruction, the responsibility of providing full-time care to young children has fallen disproportionately on working mothers. In many ways, the pandemic has revealed inequalities in our society and this is one. When the pandemic ends, will we remember these hard facts and advocate for subsidized child care and access to free pre-K education? Will we make it easier for women to say “yes” to life?
As we near the end of the season of Lent, we prepare to embrace the cross of Christ in the Paschal mystery. As we reflect on the joyful news of the Annunciation in this penitential season, what can we (and our society) sacrifice so that more mothers can say “yes” to life… like Mary did?
Prayer
Almighty and ever living God, Mary found favor with you, and you chose her to bear your saving promise. She questioned “how?” and was told nothing is impossible for the power of the Most High. When we are troubled and question amid our doubts or fears, may your grace abound, stirring the hope that moves us, too, to declare “Thy will be done.” We ask this through Jesus, your Word made flesh, who is Lord forever and ever. 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!