38Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:38)
Because we’re so familiar with the biblical story of the birth of Jesus, it can be hard for us to enter into the experience of the main characters. Yet, if we do this, not only will we understand these people more deeply, but we also will be ready for a deeper encounter with God. Consider Mary in Luke 1. The angel Gabriel had already appeared to her, telling her that she would soon become pregnant with the Son of God who would reign over God’s kingdom forever (1:31-33). Mary’s responded by wondering how this could be so since she was a virgin (1:34). Gabriel answered by explaining that Mary would become pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit (1:35). Now, at this point, we might not show much empathy for Mary. We’re so familiar with this narrative, not only from many Christmas celebrations, but also from the Apostles’ Creed. We affirm that Jesus was “conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary.” So, for us there’s no surprise in Gabriel’s announcement to Mary. But if we put ourselves in her sandals for a moment, we can begin to imagine what might have been going on in her head and heart. Jewish women who had sexual relations outside of marriage were, according to the law, worthy of death. (for example, see John 8:1-11.) But even if it was unlikely that Mary would be executed, she would be seen by all as a sinful woman. After all, who would believe her story about a virginal conception? She would surely live in shame the rest of her life. Perhaps even more painfully, her fiancé, Joseph, being a righteous man, would most probably end their relationship. Would he believe Mary’s “impossible” story about the angel and her pregnancy? Mary had every right to be deeply concerned. It wouldn’t have been surprising if she had responded to Gabriel much like Moses responded to God at the burning bush. And I certainly wouldn’t criticize her for doing so. But that’s not what she did. Rather, she said to the angel, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” I’m blown away by Mary’s response of ultimate availability. She exemplifies utter trust, utter willingness, and utter submission to God’s will. She’s willing to accept whatever may come. I can be so afraid and hesitant when God “messes” with my life. I want to understand everything in advance. I like feeling as if I’m in control. Offering myself freely and fully to God doesn’t not come naturally or easily to me. I want to share with you a prayer by St. Ignatius of Loyola written in the 15th century. Here’s the prayer I am inviting you and I to say, not only during this season, but through the year: “Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all I have and call my own. You have given all to me. To You, Lord, I return it. Everything is Yours; do with it what You will. Give me only Your love and Your grace, that is enough for me.” I confess that it is not easy for me to say this prayer without certain reservations. Am I really willing to give everything to the Lord, acknowledging that it’s all His anyway? My honest answer is: Yes and no. But I trust that the Spirit of God will continue to grow both my trust in God and my willingness to be like Mary, offering all that I am to God. Advent is a season for waiting upon God. But, like for Mary, it’s also a time to offer ourselves to God more fully. Though we won’t be called to give birth to the Son of God, the Lord has things for each of us to do. He calls us to devote our lives to His purposes and practices. May God give us the grace to respond to this call in the way of Mary: “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Lord Jesus, You have given all to me. To You, Lord, I return it. Comments are closed.
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