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. Luke 1:26-38
Today I invite you to consider the visit of the angel to Mary as recounted by Luke. Read the Biblical record at least a couple of times. Sit quietly and let yourself imagine being in the scene.
Think about how you might have felt if an angel came to you.What would you have experienced? Heard? Felt? Seen? Smelled? Tasted?
Mary was very likely a young teenager at the time—how does that change your impressions?
Would you react to an angel visit differently now than as a younger person?
The Annunciation has been a favorite theme of artists through the years. I’ve included a variety of their images for you. Look at all the pictures—perhaps one of them really speaks to you. Maybe you find yourself drawn to sketching your own impressions of the event.
Let this be a holy time of listening to God and relating to the story in whatever way your heart is led.See you tomorrow.
