Today’s Reflection
Gospel: Lk 1: 26-38
December 8, 2023 | Friday

Today’s Gospel

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, sinceI 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 our 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.

Today’s Reflection:

“Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.” These words from today’s responsorial psalm clearly refer to the Immaculate Conception of Mary – a marvelous deed of the Almighty God! Mary, because she will be the mother of God, was preserved from all stains of original sin from the first moment of her life. This is indicated in the greetings of the Archangel Gabriel to Mary: “Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you!” This is the very source of Mary’s blessedness: the Lord is with her! Without the Lord, no blessedness is possible.

In today’s gospel, Mary declared herself the handmaid of the Lord. She placed herself at the Lord’s disposal, always ready to obey His will. This is another mark of true blessedness and humility. Unlike Adam and Eve in today’s first reading, Mary humbly obeyed the will of God and with her fiat totally cooperated with God’s plan of salvation. As we celebrate today the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, let us emulate her example of total obedience to God. May she whom we honor as the Patroness of our country, the Philippines, always obtain for us the grace of being open and docile to the promptings of the Spirit in our lives. / Vulnerasti, 2023