Reading One: Is 7:10-14; 8:10;
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 40:7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 11 ;
Reading Two: Heb 10:4-10
Gospel: Lk 1:26-38; go to this page (for all three sections listed above on one page) And here's an audio file; & reflections (video)
Today marks one of the greatest days of the year for the Catholic Church, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, where Gabriel the archangel, also known as God's Messanger, is sent to the little 14 or 15 year old girl named Mary, who is betrothed to Joseph, a good man from the line of King David. Gabriel first calls Mary by a new name she has never heard before, and says to her - Hail, full of Grace, the Lord is with you". These words will be uttered countless times in the rosary, probably until the end of time, but the words are new to young Mary, and she is frightened by the greeting. Gabriel tells her not be afraid, and that she has found favor with God. Then Gabriel tells her something that is totally fantastic - that she will bear a son, and His name will be Jesus. I suspect Mary knew of the words of the prophet Isaiah, provided in the first reading today - but she was still confused. So, with a tender and gentle heart - she asks Gabriel - How can this be, since she has had no relations with a man. Her words are the same words as Zechariah, which come earlier in the first Chapter of Luke - How can this be? But Zechariah said it with an air of - oh come on, give me a break - alluding to the fact that his wife Elizabeth is an older woman, and barren, past her child bearing years. Zechariah will not be allowed to speak another word until the baby, John the Baptist is born (or Elijah the prophet, for those who can accept it). But Mary's - How can this be? is uttered with innocence, as a person who does not understand, and asks for help understanding. She speaks with tenderness and humility, a virtue and grace from God offered to Mary as a generous gift, and I believe Mary knows this humility is a gift, a gift she uses in a moment of confusion, concern, and perhaps even total fear.
The words might easily be construed as a death sentence, because back then, an unmarried women having a child out of wedlock was often stoned, especially if the husband to be, made any kind of noise about it. (see Joseph's response from last week's solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of Mary on March 19 - He was a righteous man). Knowing all these things - in an act of total faith, and love, and the deepest trust and hope one can have in God being awesome, wonderful, and above all things, loving - she quietly bows her head, and says:
May it be done to me according to your word.Similar words will also be uttered by her beloved Son, Jesus the Christ when he is alone in prayer in the garden, knowing full well what tomorrow will bring, his friends sound asleep, even though Jesus asked them to keep Him company. It is there, some 30 plus years later - where the sentiment of those words are uttered again after Jesus asks God (LK Ch22 v41),
Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done.Over the past eight years, I have blessed beyond what words might convey, to have spent many many hours in prayer. Why, believe it or not, I might even have spent more time in prayer than in front of a television, though maybe not since I did not keep a score. In any event, I share this experience of my prayer time, not from any boasting on my part, in truth, I was great need of help, and I was blessed to know where to look for help. I prayed out of a profound knowledge of my own shortcomings, feeling that I was the sheep that got caught in the barbed wire fence, and carried back to the flock on Jesus' broad shoulders. The man with the great debt, unable to ever pay it back, who was still so twisted and mistaken to be tough on others who I felt owed me something. It was from a profound understanding of my weakness, that I prayed. Anyway - I wish to share something that I learned during this time. The most wonderful way to close any prayer, especially those prayers concerning your true treasures, those treasures carried in your heart - is to end the prayer with the words offered by Mary and Jesus her Son, whatever your will is, let it be done to me. You can say it many different ways of course - I am suggesting that you offer the words from the heart, not from memory. If it is something really serious that you are praying about, you are scared because your child, spouse or a friend is very sick, you are confused about what to do and wish to do God's will above your own, and you are scared what the answer might be, you are feeling terrible because you are having great difficulty forgiving a wrong done to you, ... when your prayers are so deep and come from a place of total need, and a knowledge of your own weakness to fix the problem - add that short phrase to your prayer. Whatever your will is God - do it to me, and let my will, be Your will. I do not have enough time or space or energy to detail all the gifts and blessings that have come from saying those few words, but I can tell you with all honesty - adding that short phrase to my prayers, changed my life in ways beyond anything I even hoped for, or could imagine. Gabriel said it best when he told Mary:
for nothing will be impossible for God.These prayers are heard, and answered. Sometimes - you get immediate results. Other times, you will learn that God's time is not our time, because to God, a thousand years is like batting an eye. But I do know this, that my faith in God being the most wonderful loving God of my wildest dreams, was nothing compared to how great and wonderful a loving God He always proves Himself to be, if you just put yourself in His hands.
I would also like to add some prayer guidance offered by Jesus in John Ch. 16 - to ask God the Father for anything in Jesus' name, and when doing so, understand that you and your will might be mistaken as to what God's will is. By all means, ask in confidence whenever you ask the Father Jesus' name. But have the humility of understanding your own neediness and weakness, and never forget to add, not my will but yours be done.
Here's a few prayers related to today's reading. As I mentioned before, I have trouble remembering prayers, so I try and make a song out of the prayer to help me remember. There's an added benefit that comes from how singing a prayer is like praying twice, and that when you sing, it comes from a deeper region in your heart. Now I know I cannot sing that well, but I am pretty sure God is more concerned about what my heart is feeling, than the words I utter in prayer. Just ask Zechariah. haha. The first prayer song is called Loving Mother of the Redeemer which mentions the meeting between Gabriel and the the Blessed Virgin Mary. By sheer coincidence, I learned this was Father Tim's favorite prayer. One of the oldest prayers of the church, it was first written in Latin and called Alma Redemptoris Mater. Short and sweet, like Psalm 131 offered in an earlier post, it is like an onion with countless layers to explore if you are a nudge like me who likes to peel things apart. The next prayer is The Canticle of Zechariah, which you can read more about in Luke Ch. 1. The prayer is also called the Benedictus, and the words are said as part of the morning prayers of all Catholic priests. I asked Monsignor Richard what his favorite was, and he shared with me that it was Benedictus, so I made up a song with the words to help me learn it. There are about a thousand better songs with the same words, with more on the way, but the Benedictus version offered here is a version I made up, only so I could remember it, and know it, and offer it from my heart.
