Hail, Full of Grace! The Lord Is With You!

 In today's Gospel, Luke 1: 26-38, the angel Gabriel visits Mary  a young teenager at the time and says to her:  "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."   Imagine being that young teenager!  Out of nowhere an angel stands in front of you and greets you: "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you!"  Luke tells us that Mary was greatly troubled and pondered the angel's words!    I would also have been frightened, I think. Memories of times past  entered my mind, times when I was told that someone in authority wanted to see me. The first thought was: What have I done wrong!  In Mary's case, the angel gently says to Mary: "Don't be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God."  Imagine your child coming to you at your bidding and you can see that the little one is scared. So you say to him/her: "Don't be afraid. I love you and am very pleased with you."  That is your God!  God delights in you always! And, as with Mary, says to you: "Hail, full of grace! the Lord is with you!"

We do not physically conceive the Lord. However, throughout the day we give "birth" to good deeds, kind words, forgiving messages,  acts of justice and truth, even in the face of odds that seem unsurmountable. How do we do it? Through the Holy Spirt, who, as with Mary, overshadows us throughout the day and night!   I am sure that you have, at times, looked at your past and said: "I don't know how I did that!" And, of course, you did what you did through the Spirit. Nothing is impossible for God, Mary says,  and nothing is impossible for those who rely upon God to assist! And so we say with Mary, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word."