Annunciation of the Lord 25th March 2017 “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will take you under his wing; this is why the One to be born will be Holy and will be called the Son of God.” Is.7,10-14 Ps.39 He.10,4-10 Lk.1,26-38 “In the sixth month, the Angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a young girl, a virgin, granted in marriage to a man of the house of David, called Joseph; and her name was Mary.” The salvation of the world came about through an exchange between the Angel Gabriel and a young girl whose name is Mary. It is God who takes the initiative in this dialogue by the Angel Gabriel and it never stops taking out breath away. God takes the first step, He is the one who makes a move , asking for the yes of his creature Quite unexpectedly He erupts in this young girl of his own choosing. The Annunciation is not the beginning of the God’s work in Mary, he had already filled her with grace through her Immaculate Conception. Mary is completely the object of Divine Mercy. By filling the Virgin Mary with grace, God prepares a home worthy of Himself. The Angel is completely marvelled by her Beauty for she shines forth God’s grace. Mary is in turn in a state of marvelment , she can sense that there is mystery which goes far beyond herself. Worried and inquisitive, she is troubled. When mankind encounters God his heart is filled with fear and with fascination. Fascination faced with the one who can fill his desire so much, and fear born from a respect in face to face which surpasses him. If it is to Mary that the Angel addresses, it is we whom God comes and joins in His Mystery. What is required of us is that we have confidence in ourselves, the wok of the Salvation of the world is revealed. It is God who takes the initiative it is He who takes the first step. “The Angel went in and said to her: ’Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.” At these words she was all troubled and wondered what kind of greeting this could be. The Angel then said to her : ’Don’t be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. Behold you shall conceive a son and give birth to him ; you shall give him the name of Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father ; he will reign for ever on the house of Jacob and his kingdom will have no end." The Angel reassures Mary about the unheard of plan resounding in her ears. To become the mother of Jesus. Mary’s yes is pronounced in poverty and in humility. It is a mystery of joy and of fecundity where God gives Himself in an infinite Love. He awakens within us what is hidden, the possibilities of buried love lying hidden away in the secret of our hearts. The mystery which has been lying in silence since the beginning of time is today revealed. Mary’s promise to marry Joseph will be respected. And this is how God’s delicacy is expressed He makes the proposition of his design before Mary and Joseph get married. Each one is free to accept or refuse. Love never acts without respecting the wishes of people. Mary and Joseph accept, and for many years Jesus will be considered as Mary and Joseph’s son. He is the guard of the secret of God’s work. Full- of- grace, Mary is marvelled by the accomplishment of the promises made to her people. It is in this freedom that divine Love keeps creating the Kingdom of God. “Mary said to the Angel : ’How can this come about, for I am a virgin?’ Th Angel answered her : ’The Holy Spirit will come down upon you and the power of the Most High will take you under his shadow ; this is why the One to be born will be called Holy and will be called Son of God. Behold, in her old age your cousin Elizabeth has also conceived, she is in her sixth month, the one who they called sterile. For nothing is impossible for God.” Mary then said ’Behold, the servant of the Lord; may everything happen according to god’s Word.“ Then the Angel left her.” In the name of all the people who are waiting for the Messiah, Mary gives her consent. It bursts through from the depths of her being bringing about God’s greatest Joy. And so the possibility for the Lord to act in us is given. He can now spread his grace in us. The Angel marvels at the Beauty of the one who shines forth God’s grace. By giving an unconditional Yes to god Mary opens up a new space of freedom for humanity. We mays till be able to hide ourselves as at the beginning, a way is opened up for us to collaborate in God’s grace in us. The recital of the Annunciation is exemplary, it helps us prepare ourselves for the coming of the Lord Jesus and to bring about God’s plan of Love for us. The mystery of the Holy Spirit and the power of the Most High are revealed to us. For us too it is given to us to say our own ’yes’ so as to enter into a deep covenant with Jesus. This Love renews our life and take sus well beyond our hopes. Our yes in Mary’s yes opens up for u a response to god’s Infinite Love. We ask for the grace of a yes without any repentance for our life in God.
Annunciation of the Lord 4th April 2016
“The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to man named Joseph, of the House of David ; and the virgin’s name was Mary.”
Is.7,10-14 Ps.39 He.10,4-10 Lk.1,26-38
"The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel Gabriel went in and said to her ’Rejoice, you who enjoy God’s favour! The Lord is with you.’
She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her : ’Mary, do not be afraid ; you have won God’s favour.Behold, you are to conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you his name will be Jesus.He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High."
The name of the young girl was Mary. Mary is situated in her space of Nazareth, in her social position, a virgin granted in marriage, she I here, part of her history..
In this name ’Mary’, the way she lives is completely expressed.
It is to Mary that the Angel addresses, as it is also to us that God addresses in His mystery, and we are always situated beyond what our situation is.
Let us have confidence in ourselves, in the work of Salvation of the world is revealed in a marvellous exchange, between God and ourselves, for God takes the initiative, it is He who takes the first step, it is He who is put out.
This choice of God is made manifest on the day of the Annunciation when the Angel came from Heaven and presented to Mary God’s desire to come amongst us.
Through the Annunciation to Mary, who is full of grace ever since her Immaculate Conception, God prepared a dwelling place for himself , one that was worthy of himself.
We want to develop in us this mystery of fecundity and of joy where God is given in an Infinite Love. He awakens in us what he has hidden a possibilities of love buried in secret.
"Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a Son and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord
God will give him the throne of the ancestors David ; he will rule over the house of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end. Mary said to the angel ’ But how can this come about, since I do not know any man?’
The call of God reveals Him to us, but He reveals us to ourselves also.The Word received is going to allow us to realise what we are carrying within ourselves, to get us to have an access to our fuller selves.
We commend ourselves to the Word of the Lord in thanksgiving. We give the possibility to the Lord to act within us, to spread his grace over us. The Angel is marvelled before the beauty of the one who shines with God’s grace. Mary is in a state of surprise, she feels there is a mystery that goes beyond herself.
Prepared by God’s Word that had announced this mystery, Mary is going to accomplish it by her yes, by saying an unconditional Yes to God, she opens up a new space for humanity, giving us a new possibility of a new yes for a love that is completely new.
"The angel answered, ’The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called son of God. And I tell you this too : your cousin Elizabeth also, in her old age, has conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible for God.’
Mary said ’Behold, the servant of the Lord, let it be done unto me according your holy will.’ And the angel left her.
Mary received the Word, she took knowledge of it in the context of her freedom and she replies, she speaks, she surrenders herself to this Word that makes up her own being, she accepts the work of the Revelation, of Creation, we can tie with Jesus a deep Covenant in which we find our true place in relationship to everything else.
It is through contemplating what happens to the Virgin Mary that we can come to understand what Jesus wants us to bring about with the whole Church.
Following Mary, we can from now on say a complete yes to God in our lives! This yes leads us to be totally dispossessed of ourselves, and so we can enter into the mystery of God’s Infinite Love. This Love renews our whole life and takes us well beyond our hopes, it will be a yes pronounced in Mary’s yes, she wso has opened up for us a path of response to God’s Infinite Love.
We ask for the grace of a yes without repentance for our life in God.
“The name of the virgin was Mary. The Angel Gabriel went in and said to her”Rejoice! You who enjoy God’s favour! The Lord is with you! She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her : ’Mary, do not be afraid, you have won God’s favour. Look! You are to conceive in your womb and bear a Son and you must name him Jesus. he will be great and will be called the son of the Most High.“You will give birth! Every woman carries within her the desire to give life, whether it be spiritual or materiel! This is the deepest vocation humanity has. Our wish is to develop within us this mystery of fecundity and of joy where God gives Himself in an Infinite Love. The Archangel greeted Mary :”Hail, full of grace, “This greeting expresses the overabundant Love of God for her. The Angels presence reveals to her”something of this mystery of God for Mary. he awakens within her what lies deep down within her all the hidden possibilities of Love given to her secretly by God. All the capacities of the little creature with her God are contained within her. He tells her that “The Lord is with you.” Mary is troubled, wondering what this greeting might mean.
“Look! You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called son of the Most High, the Lord God will give him the throne of hid ancestor David; he will rule over the house of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end. Mary said to the angel, ’But how can this come about, since I have no knowledge of man?”
Mary had been prepared by the Word of God who had announced this mystery and she will accomplish it by her yes. “You shall be the joy of your God.” Mary finds her joy in her God who fills her more deeply and deeply.Mary will offer her infant Jesus to the whole world.Yet Mary is troubled by this interpellation. The Angel Gabriel waits for the rely Mary will give him with the ardour of the Love
God has for her. As we read this Gospel text, we are reminded of the first meeting of the woman Eve with “another angel” that deceives her. Mary wipes away this first encounter, by saying an unconditional “Yes” to God she opens up for humanity a whole new space of freedom, giving to us the possibility of a new yes for a whole new love.
“The angel replied to her, ’The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will cover you with His Shadow, and so the Child shall be called Holy, and will be called Son of God.And I tell you this, too: your cousin Elizabeth also, in her old age, has conceived a son and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible for God. Mary said ’Behold the maiden of the Lord, let it be done unto me according to His Will.’ And the angel left her.”
Once the angel had re-assured her, the revealed mystery was going to be accomplished.When Mary will give to the shepherds her infant Jesus, an echo will be heard : “Glory to God in the highest, and Peace to His People on earth!” Following Mary, we too can now say a total yes to God in our life! A yes that will not know in what way it will be realized. This leads to a total dispossession of ourselves. So we can enter into the mystery of the Infinite Love of God. This Love renews the whole of our life and takes us well beyond everything we had hopes for; it will be a yes in the Mary’s yes, her yes as opens up for us a way to respond to the Infinite Love of God.