Monday of the Third Week of Lent - March 25, 2019/Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord

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Isaiah 7:10-14, 8:10  Hebrews 10:10:4-10     Luke 1:26-38

I have struggled with my faith over the last few years, but members of my family insist that I go to mass, so I abide. I usually walk into church with a bad attitude but I do my very best to stay positive. As we walk to our usual spot, to the right of the Blessed Sacrament chapel and tabernacle, I am usually thinking about what I would rather be doing. But as I sit there and listen to the Word of God, I begin to feel at peace. It gives me rest from my personal life and any worry I have about a past mishap or a future possibility.
           
As mass begins, I sit there listening to my own thoughts. However, when the Scripture readings begin, I stop and pay attention, committing myself to finding a new perspective within the words. I hope to gain just a little knowledge in the verses but struggle sometimes to find anything that registers as bona fide or meaningful to me. I sit in my room now with the task of reflecting on this gospel from Luke and I find myself spending hours on something I do not feel I have the authority to write about within the scripture.

Gabriel tells Mary that she will bear God’s child and Mary questioningly, but willingly says “yes” to God’s words. Mary humbly accepts this challenge that will end up bringing her much stress, as well as sacrifice. In our own lives, we are told in mysterious ways to perform a challenging task or to do difficult things for others. Embrace these signs, they may not be clear in the moment, but with an openness to new perceptions, they can be meaningfully interpreted. God speaks to me in ways that are hard to comprehend. But if I can slow down for just a moment and take in all of the small details in God’s Word, I can find not only a greater appreciation for creation but will find the deeper meaning behind his creation that is God’s will.

Q:  Slow down and take the time to read today’s Gospel, paying attention to the details. How can I be more like Mary, open to receiving God’s Word and allowing it to grow within me?

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