Today we celebrate the Annunciation of the Lord. Two thousand plus years ago, the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, announcing to her that she had found favor with God and was to become pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. The child that would begin to grow in her womb would be God Himself assuming human nature through her and coming to live among us as a human being. This child, the Incarnate Son of God, would be like us in all things but sin.
The opening antiphon of today's liturgy tells us that, as the Lord entered the world, he said: "Behold, I come to do your will, O God." In today's responsorial psalm, Psalm 40, the Lord says: "Sacrifice or oblation you wished not, but ears open to obedience you gave me. Holocausts or sin-offering you sought not; then said I, 'Behold I come. In the written scroll it is prescribed of me, to do your will, O my God, is my delight, and your law is within my heart.'"
Obedience to the will of God is modeled for Jesus by His mother, who when the angel Gabriel announced God's will for her replied: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." At that moment, as the angel proclaimed, the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary and Jesus was conceived in her womb! Mary would never be the same and neither would the history of the world.
Emmanual--God-with-us! As Jesus lived in Mary's womb physically, He lives within our bodies spiritually. In the Holy Eucharist, Jesus comes to nourish us, strengthen us, purify us, as well: "Take and eat," Jesus says to us through the priest, "this is my body given up for you." "Take and drink [of the chalice]; this is my blood poured out for you."
Jesus lives in you and me as He lived in Mary. He is there always--when we get up in the morning, when we go to work, when we retire for the night! Jesus never leaves us, never abandons us, and always waits for us to seek His help, to call upon Him in need, and to rely upon Him in all of the circumstances of our lives, especially those that seem overwhelming for us, that leave us with a trillion questions, that baffle, confuse or frustrate us. Jesus also wants us to include Him, look to Him in the joyful, celebratory, exciting moments of our lives.
May we turn to Him and seek Him every moment of every day and night!
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