Last Sunday the focus of the gospel reading was on John the Baptist. This week it is on Our Lady. Mary of Nazareth, teenage daughter of Anne and Joachim, future Blessed Mother of our Lord is human like us. She seems to have been taken aback by the appearance of the angel: "But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be." (Lk 1: 29) This is even before the proposal to become the mother of Jesus, without the assistance of her betrothed, is made to her. Once this is broken to her she replies: "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" (Lk 1: 34) This indicates that the future Queen of Heaven understands the stakes. She knows that getting pregnant outside of having sexual relation with her husband, or indeed with anyone, is, to put it mildly, problematic The archangel Gabriel, whose name in Hebrew translates as "the Power of God" invites her to put her faith in God: "For nothing is impossible with God." (Lk 1: 27)The absolute trust and faith of the Immaculate Conception reveals her courage and her humility: "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." (Lk 1: 38) Let us pray that we can have even a fraction of the faith of Our Lady, Assumed into Heaven, this Christmas so that God's Word may be fruitful in us!
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