May it be Done to Me According to Your Word”


Today's Mass Readings

The anticipation continues to build as Christmas – the birth of our savior – approaches. Today’s gospel reading tells the story of the Annunciation, one of the most beloved readings as we look forward to the nativity. This story of the Annunciation is one with which we are all familiar: the angel Gabriel appears to the Virgin Mary, greeting her as “full of grace,” and telling her about her role in bringing Jesus to earth. And, as we know, Mary responds first by asking how this could be and secondly by saying: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” When paired with the first reading from Isaiah, we the annunciation as a sign from God: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.” From the beginning, Christians have identified this passage as referring to Mary’s conception of Jesus’ through the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is Emmanuel – God with us. The responsorial psalm refrain lends further insight: Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory. How does our Lord enter this world created by God?

A related question is how does our Lord NOT enter this world. To the latter question, we can say that he does not enter at the Rose Bowl parade on a gigantic float. He does not make his grand entrance as a towering figure descending to earth in a gigantic burst of flames. He does not come to the world as a comic superhero to fight evil in some flashy costume involving a cape. Rather, our Lord enters this world through the “yes” of a peasant woman from Galilee. Despite the many challenges and heartaches that she will encounter because of her decision, Mary agrees to bear Jesus.

In these last weeks of Advent, let us strive to respond in faithfulness to God’s will as did Mary. Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory! May we proclaim this in our hearts and in our lives! Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory!