BRING FORTH CHRIST
2 Samuel 7:1–5.8b–12.14a.16; Ps. 89; Rom. 16:25–27; Luke 1:26-38
Nine months before Jesus was born, the angel Gabriel was sent to the Virgin Mary to announce the conception of the Son of God through the Holy Spirit. The gospel reading simply narrates the annunciation experience. This announcement was to prepare Mary to bring Christ into the world. For that reason, the angel told Mary five basic things she must know. If we, too, want to bring Christ into our lives, we need to note these things.
The angel said to Mary, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!” These words form one of the most cherished prayers in the Catholic Church, referred to as the “Hail Mary.” To hail is to greet; the angel greeted her and reassured her of God’s presence. Whenever we say Hail Mary, we enter into this greeting and develop fuller confidence that God is with us. The angel described her as full of grace; no one can bring Christ into our world without grace.
The angel Gabriel said to Mary, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” Like Mary, we must put aside any fear in order to bring Christ forth. We know that the demands are tough, but do not be afraid to permeate society in the presence of Christ. Fear brings embarrassment to the faith. Do not be afraid to tell the truth; do not be ashamed to bring Christ into your circle of friends or family.
The angel said to Mary, “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” These words were already prophesied in the first reading: David had plans to build a befitting house for God, but God promised to build David a house that would last forever. The house that will last forever is a spiritual temple, a kingdom that has no end. The kingdom of men has an end, but the kingdom of God has no end. Let’s be part of this kingdom that has no end; in Christ, there is no end to life; he is eternal, and he shall give us eternal life.
The angel also said to Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” We need the Holy Spirit. The annunciation would have been meaningless if the Holy Spirit had not come. As a young woman from Nazareth, Mary felt inadequate; she continues a long list of people in the Bible who felt inadequate (Moses, Rahab, David, Jonah, Naomi, and many others). Therefore, she asked in Luke 1:34, “How shall this be, since I knew no man?” The angel said the Holy Spirit would overshadow you. You may not know anybody, but just know God, and you shall be highly favored. You may be inadequate, but when the Holy Spirit overshadows you, he makes you adequate. When the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples, he made the incompetent competent and the incredible credible; he made the feeble strong and gave power to the faint.
The angel said to Mary, “Nothing will be impossible for God.” The angel said this after he had told Mary about Elizabeth’s favor. Beloved, do we still believe that with God, all things are possible? Do you ever feel weak and vulnerable? Do you have dreams that seem impossible? With God, all things are possible.
