The Annunciation – Leonardo DaVinci

Day 01 – Wednesday, March 6, 2019
The Birth of Jesus Foretold: Born of a Virgin – Luke 1:26-38 NRSV

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, “Greetings, favored one! 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.

This miracle, known as the Immaculate Conception,
while familiar to most people,
holds much meaning that is quite often overlooked.
It is unlikely that Mary ever asked for this in prayer,
yet God chose her to be the instrument of His will.
How often do we wonder why God has chosen us to carry a particular burden?
We do not always have the information that Mary was given,
but we have our faith, and like Mary,
God sometimes chooses us because of that faith.
Yet sometimes, God chooses us so we may learn to have a deeper faith.
Consider the tasks God has assigned to you, even if you have not asked for them.
Do you have the same attitude of compliance as Mary did? Do you say in your heart,
“Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”