26.) December 24, 2020 Mary Luke 1:26-28, 31-34
In the sixth month, 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, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. 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.
(Mary, like so many other noteworthy women of Sacred Scripture, is pregnant in unusual circumstances)
I was not prepared for this angelic announcement—who would be? No one ever expects God to call them for such a task. Why would God think I could do this—me, a small insignificant girl? But there stood fearsome Gabriel staring at me while my knees shook. He gave me no assurances, no promises, no reason to say yes. Even if Elizabeth was pregnant, what did that have to do with me? What did God see in me that I did not see in myself? Yet, God watched over other women from our past, so I just had to believe that God would watch over me, too. It was that simple.
Thought: What does God see in me that I don’t see in myself? What are my gifts? Will I say yes?