Opening Prayer

How are you feeling right now – heavy-hearted or light-hearted? Bring a gentle acceptance of how you are, as God welcomes you into his presence.

Scripture

Luke 1:26-38

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “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 holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then 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.

Reflection

The angel’s greeting to Mary, “the favoured one,” indicates her unique and special relationship with God, blessed and chosen to bring Jesus into the world. But like Mary, we can treasure this greeting in our hearts as if it were personally spoken to us. We can dare to believe that we are highly favoured and invited to bring Jesus into this world. We can reflect God’s love through our interactions with others, helping them to see they are included, loved and cared for. Mary’s example of a faithful relationship helps us ponder the mystery of God, who longs for that closeness with us. We see that she was deeply troubled (“perplexed”) and yet her trust in God enabled her to say yes, even when it didn’t make sense to her. She persevered by taking one step at a time and allowed God’s work to be revealed. Like Mary, we will be given the grace to respond to life’s circumstances when we stay close to God and trust in his steadfast love. Our “yes” to God may not always be easy, especially when trouble comes our way – accepting our crosses such as bereavement, illness, and ageing. Whatever trials we face, God asks us to take His hand and trust in His ability to guide us through both dark and good times. We can be more like Jesus by allowing the ‘God of Surprises’ to transform us into himself. And praying with Mary, we can all make a difference by taking one step at a time. 

Reflection Prayer

Lord, like Mary, teach me to trust your plan, even when I cannot see the way ahead.
Help me to take one step at a time, taking your hand in faith.
May my heart stay open to your surprises, and may my quiet “yes” bring your light into the world.

Concluding prayer 

Let nothing trouble you
Let nothing frighten you.
All things pass away,
God never ends.
Patience obtains everything.
To those who possess God
nothing is wanting.
God alone suffices.

– St. Teresa of Avila