Luke 1:26-38
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.
Dawg's thought:
Today's prayer intention is for the repose of the soul of Pope John Paul II.
We know that God is constant as we hear the wonderful things that The Lord has done. What we are challenged with today is Mary's words in response to God's calling: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word."
This is the model Pope John Paul II proclaimed in his actions as he continued to endure his suffering until his death this past Saturday. God gave us a wonderful gift through his example, and through his suffering we can see a glimpse of the suffering Christ endured in His Passion.
We know that suffering will come, as we know Mary also suffered, seeing her Son die upon the cross. Pope John Paul II's first words as Pope was, "Be not afraid" and Mary's words today speak the same message of full abandonment to trusting in God's will for her.
There are many who point the way to Christ, and what is fluid in their message can be seen in today's reading: May it be done to me according to your word. Take care and God Bless.
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