Today is the Feast of our Lady of Guadalupe, and the Annunciation (Luke 1:26–38) constitutes the liturgical reading this Tuesday for the second week of Advent.
When the archangel Gabriel appears to Mary, he greets her with the famous words, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” The revelation and announcement begin with an assurance. Obviously, the appearance of an angel could cause fear, but Gabriel encourages her not to be afraid because she has found favor.
He, then, makes an extraordinary announcement. “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.”
This promise has seven layers. You shall conceive in your womb. Bear a son. He will be great. Called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. He shall rule over the house of Jacob forever. His Kingdom shall have no end.
Each layer deserves exploration, and they all have a depth of scriptural references and theology.
Much of this promise refers to 2Samuel 7. King David had decided to build a house for the Ark of the Covenant, but the prophet Nathan shows up with other ideas. Nathan says that God was not particularly interested in having a house built. The Lord had given the Israelites a Tabernacle, not a temple like the surrounding nations. Nathan, then, turns David’s idea inside out and says that the Lord will create David a house — not a physical building, but a royal lineage.
Nathan’s annunciation in 2Samuel 7:11–17 sounds a lot like Gabriel’s message to Mary. The Lord will raise up David’s son and establish him a kingdom. This son will be great, and he will reign forever on David’s throne. Significantly David’s son would be God’s son. “I will be his father, and he will be my son” (v. 14).
Gabriel announces to Mary that she would bear this Son of God who would sit on David’s throne and reign forever. These themes unfold throughout Luke’s Gospel — and in our lives.
As we live liturgically in the second week of Advent, we become like the Blessed Virgin Mary. We conceive Christ in the womb of our heart, mind, and prayer. We bear the Son of God as we carry him in our daily lives and perform the works of mercy. We find him ruling over us in love; and in faith, we trust that he will mysteriously bring his kingdom of peace to reality.
The Annunciation is not just a story to be read. It is an announcement to be lived.
Reflection:
1. When have I encountered an annunciation?
2. In what ways have I found favor with God?
3. What would it mean for me to bear the Son of God in my life?
