God's Visit

Today's Gospel tells the story of the Annunciation, when the angel of the Lord announces to Mary that she has found favor with the Lord and will conceive a child in her womb who will be called holy, the Son of the Most High God. He will assume the throne of David and rule over all and  His Kingdom will have no end, totally unlike any earthly kingdom. 

Imagine this happening to you. You are engaged to be married. You and your fiancee have not engaged in sex. Both of you believe that that is a sacred gift reserved for marriage, for persons in a committed relationship to one another and to God.  Suddenly, in the quiet of your room, no one is around but you,  a heavenly messenger appears to you and says:

"Hail, full of grace. The Lord is with you."

You're thinking: "Oh, my God! Who is this? What is this all about?"  You begin to tremble with fear. "Am I hallucinating? What is happening to me? Oh, God help!"  The angel notices that you are terrified and says: "Don't be afraid. You have found favor with the Lord. I have great news for you. You will conceive a child in your womb, a son, whom you will name Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High God.  He is going to ascend the throne of the greatest rulers whoever governed any nation on this earth.  In fact, He will rule forever with justice and right judgment and His Kingdom will never end."

"What? How is this going to happen? I'm a virgin. My fiancee is a virgin.  I have never had a sexual relationship with anyone."

"Don't worry! Nothing is impossible with God."

"I know! But how am I to conceive a child without having a sexual encounter with a man?"

"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 called holy, the Son of God....for nothing will be impossible for God."

Recognizing the truth of all of this and that you belong to God above anyone self,  you respond: "Be it done to me according to your word."

As with Mary, so, too, with you, God breaks into your life in profound ways, sometimes frightening ways.  On the day of your baptism, confirmation, first confession, first Holy Communion, and Confirmation and any sacrament received since you died and rose with Christ in your baptism, something profound, something holy is happening.   As with Mary in the Annunciation, you are completely changed by God visiting you, not through a messenger, but directly through the sacraments.  As you cooperate with grace, as Mary did, you will never be the same. God has broken into the ordinariness of your life and made it extraordinary. By God's grace you give birth to Jesus whenever you do the good God calls you to do, whenever you fulfill your mission on earth just as Mary did; namely bringing Christ to every encounter and to every event of your life.