Luke 1:26-38
The Birth of Jesus Foretold
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[a] the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
The Fourth Sunday of Advent this morning, and tonight the Vigil of the Birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Yes, Christmas begins tonight, our three-week Advent will be over; ready or not Christmas will be here. Was Mary ready for the invitation announced to her by Gabriel? It had to be a shock, yet in those beautiful words she acquiesced with a humility and dignity that serves as a model for us: to be at God's disposal, no matter what he asks. Jesus is our Christmas gift, but his mother also is a special gift, modeling for us on how to respond to whatever God asks of us, even the "hard things." Let us pray that we always be at God's disposal, obedient and humble, no matter what he asks of us.
Bro, Rene
Dear God, thank you for giving us your Son, Jesus and Mary his Good Mother. May they show us the way home to you! Amen.
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