Our Lady is the supreme example of obedience to the will of God.

The primary meaning of each day of our lives is to say with her ,

"Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word."

 

Isaiah 7:10-14, 8:10

  Once again Yahweh addressed Ahaz,   

“Ask for a sign from Yahweh your God, let it come either from the deepest depths or from the heights of heaven.”   But Ahaz answered, “I will not ask, I will not put Yahweh to the test.”

 Then Isaiah said, “Now listen, descendants of David. Have you not been satisfied trying the patience of people, that you also try the patience of my God?   Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The Virgin is with child and bears a son and calls his name Immanuel.   Devise a plan and it will be thwarted, make a resolve and it will not stand, for God-is-with-us.

 

Ps 40:7-8a, 10, 11

Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

 

＊＊＊ 2nd Reading ＊＊＊

Hebrews 10:4-10

And never, will the blood of bulls and goats take away these sins.  This is why on entering the world, Christ says: You did not desire sacrifice and offering;  you were not pleased with burnt offerings and sin offerings.   Then I said: “Here I am. It was written of me in the scroll. I will do your will, O God.”

 First he says: Sacrifice, offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire nor were you pleased with them—although they were required by the Law.  Then he says: Here I am to do your will.

This is enough to nullify the first will and establish the new.   Now, by this will of God, we are sanctified once and for all by the sacrifice of the body of Christ Jesus.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊ 

  Luke 1:26-38

In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God, to a town of Galilee called Nazareth. He was sent to a virgin, who was betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the family of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

The angel came to her and said, "Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you!" Mary was troubled at these words, wondering what this greeting could mean. But the angel said, "Do not fear, Mary, for God has looked kindly on you.

You shall conceive and bear a son; and you shall call him Jesus. He will be great, and shall rightly be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the kingdom of David, his ancestor; he will rule over the people of Jacob forever; and his reign shall have no end."

Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" And the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore, the holy child to be born of you shall be called Son of God.

Even your relative, Elizabeth, is expecting a son in her old age, although she was unable to have a child; and she is now in her sixth month. With God nothing is impossible."

Then Mary said, "I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me as you have said." And the angel left her.

 

The Angel that Leaves

"And the angel left her." The moment Mary said "Yes" to God's will, the angel left her! Wasn't it the moment a horde of angels should have descended, stood guard for her day and night? After all, she was the Mother of God!

But no! The angel simply left, never more to return during her earthly life. There would be no angel to help her explain the mysterious pregnancy to her family; no angel to find her a home in Bethlehem. No angel would protect her divine child miraculously from the sword of Herod, nor make her travel to Egypt easy.

When the child of the promise was lost in the Temple, there was no angel whispering his whereabouts to her; nor when she had to stand beneath the cross with a sword piercing her heart, again. Mary had to walk her "yes" in the utter darkness of faith, and she did! How about me? How would I react when I see the angel leaving?