The Annunciation of the Lord
Reflection
The Gabriel Gazette. Imagine the newspaper at your feet, with a clear front page story: “You have found favor with God! Now go out, turn your life upside down, and Rejoice!” If only God’s call for us was really that clear. In truth, if we take time to pray, listen carefully and pay attention to the world around us, it is. We tend to complicate things, mistaking others’ suggestions for God’s call, ignoring ideas that seem too demanding, disregarding God’s invitation to transformation, to become our fullest selves. We busy ourselves looking for signs, when signs are all around us that, with God, nothing is impossible. “The virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel, which means "God is with us!" Nothing is impossible, because God is with us. And while our paths are not always easy, God assures us that He is with us through it all.
It strikes me that these moments when God calls to us, when we are shaken out of our comfortable selves and invited to be uncomfortable, to do things we wouldn’t ordinarily do, these are often the times when we have difficulty feeling God’s presence in our midst. We get stuck in our own fears and anxieties. But it is these times — our truly Emmanuel times – that God is ever present, ready to steady us with love and perseverance. God is with us.
How lonely and scared Mary must have felt, and yet she said yes. Knowing her path would not be easy, she was open and willing because she was convinced of God’s loving presence. How many headlines do I have to read before I get the point? God is beckoning us every day to love one another, speak out for justice, live the life we are called to live. He is calling us to be part of His Kingdom here on earth. When will we say yes?
Prayer
Good and gracious God, we ask for Your patience as we discern Your will, Your hope as we stretch ourselves to live Your Word, and Your abiding love, reminding us that You are always with us.
Heidi St. Peter, ‘96, Director of M.O.V.E.
First Reading: Isaiah 7:10-14; 8:10
Psalm 40:7-11
Second Reading: Hebrews 10:4-10
Gospel: Luke 1:26-38
1 comment:
God is with us, but how easy that is to forget or overlook! May we as willing to risk who we are for what we might become only if we trust in God's loving presence like Mary. Thanks Heidi for sharing your reflection!
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