Daily Gospel Reflection
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March 25, 2022
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.
A month before my Mom died in 2015, I went to my Maryland hometown to assist my sisters
with her care. I stayed a week helping with menial tasks, many of which my mom had performed for 65+ years for her children and grandchildren. While there, we had many conversations and there is one of note that I will always remember.
During my last afternoon, a young neighbor, Jesse, stopped in to sit and chat with Mom and me.
Later, we viewed a news report on abortion and the sale of aborted infants for biological research. Jesse asked what my mom and I thought about these dividing issues. Initially, I wasn’t sure how to answer her. I deliberated for several moments, then something inside encouraged me to state what I had pondered over for years and, of which, I believe but had never really put into words:
“If you believe in Jesus Christ,
Then, you believe in the Annunciation and Incarnation
When God became man.
As God is life,
Then, Mary had life within her at conception,
and, as Jesus is as fully human as any other person,
We all have life at conception, as well.”
My Mom replied, “I never thought of it that way.” While my mom and I did not have any further discussion about the issue, I hoped her beliefs about life and its commencement had been strengthened. Later that evening, we were saying good-by and she said, “It was nice to get to know you again, John.”
On this Feast of the Annunciation when we hear Mary’s remarkable “yes” and meditate on one of the most singular and greatest of mysteries—God becoming man, let us think anew, as my Mom did, about this blessed event and its relevance to each of us. Let us imagine the moment when we were announced as one of God’s children… at our own conception.
Prayer
Lord, as we celebrate today the Feast of the Annunciation, help us to recognize the inherent value and dignity of every human life from natural conception to natural death, so that we may use our gifts and talents, to create a true culture of life in our country and in our world. 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!