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.
Reflect
During Lent, we hear a lot of readings from the time of the Israelites’ wandering in the desert
during the exodus, as they moved from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land.
Though the Annunciation is distinct from lent, today’s Gospel reading uses language that
harks back to that time.
The angel tells Mary that the power of God will overshadow her. The word “overshadow”
was used during the exodus as well. After the Israelites set up the meeting tent and placed
the Ark of the Covenant inside, God overshadowed the tent, showing that he was present
with his people.
The overshadowing in today’s Gospel marks Mary as a new ark. Her body will shelter and
give birth to the Word made flesh who will dwell among us. Her son Jesus remains present
with us even today in his Church and in his sacraments, especially in the Eucharist. As the
Israelites were freed from slavery. Jesus will free us from sin and death, made possible by
Mary’s “yes.”
© Copyright Bible Diary 2023