Today’s Scripture Readings

Gospel Reading

NRSV

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’ But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.

Gabriel appears out of the blue to Mary. Or does he? There’s nothing in the way the story is told to suggest that Mary ever sees Gabriel. She certainly hears him, and the whole episode is set in a strongly aural key. It’s much more about the ear than the eye. Why is this? St Paul provides the clue when he says that faith comes from hearing. But not just from hearing, since faith such as we hear eventually from Mary comes from deep listening.

When she first hears the greeting, Mary is perturbed; and she’s even more puzzled as Gabriel talks on, promising she will be mother of the royal Messiah, even though she’s not yet married. Gabriel says she will conceive by the Holy Spirit, which is something entirely new.

In Scripture, women who are barren or past the age of childbearing have conceived by the power of God. Elizabeth is one of them. But no one has conceived virginally. So, Mary is asked to believe that something never seen before will happen to her. And believe she does, becoming first among the faithful. Once she speaks her word of faith, Gabriel departs silently.

The last word belongs to Mary who speaks the first word of Christian faith, becoming not only mother of the royal Messiah but also mother of the Church.