Advent 2023 part 9

She was a teenager. She was beautiful. She was also in love. Only a few days ago she had been betrothed to the young man she adored.

Years ago, in her early childhood, this young woman's parents had moved from their home in Judea and resettled in Galilee. Her fiancé, a carpenter by trade, had recently moved from the village of Bethlehem to Nazareth, to open a carpentry shop.

These two young people, Mary and Joseph by name, had met at one of the local festivals and had fallen in love. Soon thereafter, Joseph had gone to both their parents asking for permission to marry. The two families decided that a marriage was permissible, but the date decided upon was nearly a year away. Joseph was poor, they had agreed, his carpentry business just beginning. Therefore, wisdom dictated that the two should wait at least a year before marrying.

Now, on this very ordinary day, it was destined that an archangel would pay a visit to this young maiden.

“Mary,” came a voice from behind her.

Having never heard a voice quite so commanding, Mary turned quickly about. What she saw caused her to fall to her knees. There was no question in her mind that the creature standing before her belonged to the citizenship of the other realm.

Mary could not imagine what to expect from the mouth of this strange being. Some terrible command? Some awful rebuke? Some prophecy of doom? Perhaps he would smite her with some horrible disease. His words could not have held a more astounding surprise.

“Mary, you are a very blessed young woman. The Lord himself is with you.”

Mary’s eyes darted about as she tried to grasp what these words might mean.

“You do not need to be afraid. Among all the women who have dwelt upon this earth since Eve, you are the most favoured. You are going to conceive a child in your womb. You will bring forth a Son. His name will be Jesus. He will be called the Son of the Most High God, and he will be great.

The throne of his ancestor David will be given to your Son by the Lord God himself. He will reign forever and forever. The kingdom of your Son will never end.”

“I. . .I. . .” Mary stammered. “I do not understand! I am a virgin! I have never touched a man, nor has any man touched me. And my betrothed, it will be a long time before we shall marry.”

Mary’s words met with a long silence, and Mary did not like that. She ventured, therefore, to lift her head and look up at this fearsome looking creature standing before her. To her surprise, what she saw on his face was kindness and gentleness. But more. He seemed to be somewhat awestruck himself. For one fleeting moment she sensed that the angel beheld her with as much wonder as she did him.

Seeing the gentleness upon the face of this unearthly being,  Mary began to feel a deep sense of courage fill her heart.  Drawing upon that courage, she dared rise to her feet and look directly into the eyes of the archangel. She waited.

At last Gabriel spoke.

“It will be no man, it will be the Holy Spirit. He will come upon you. The power of the Most High God will overshadow you. That which will be conceived in you, the holy One who will be born from you, will be called the Son of God. Even now your cousin, Elizabeth, though she is old and past the age of motherhood, has, nonetheless, conceived a son. Elizabeth, who was barren, is now already six months with child.”

Mary’s eyes widened. What she had heard concerning herself was beyond all understanding, but hearing that Elizabeth was also about to bear a child seemed even more astounding.

Gabriel turned to go, as is the way of angels when they have finished their task. But on this occasion he paused for a moment to stand once more in awe of the young woman chosen to bring Almighty God into humanity’s realm.

‘A mere woman’, he mused, incredulous. ‘A human!’

Aloud, he said, “It seems that there is absolutely nothing impossible with our God.”

Stepping back toward the Door, Gabriel was stopped short as Mary boldly advanced toward him. He could not recall having ever seen such a show of human boldness in the presence of an angel. Furthermore, this time it was Mary who had a pronouncement to make. She spoke with such passion that Gabriel was, for an instant, taken aback.

“Behold, I stand here, the handmaiden of my Lord. The words that you have spoken I receive. Let what you have said be done unto me.”

Within the glow of that angelic presence, Mary thought she might have seen a soft smile cross Gabriel’s face.

With this mutually unprecedented encounter, Gabriel stepped onto the threshold of the Door. As he did, he whispered to himself, ‘Truly, our God has chosen well.’