Daily Inspiration

Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord

“The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 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.” But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “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 called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.” —Luke 1:26-38

Thank you to all who offered prayers for the Pro-life event. Amazingly, it went off without a hitch.

A short summary of a key part of my talk this morning:

There are times in life that may appear difficult, yet God has planned for them. Mary and Joseph were given very difficult choices, but they said yes to God. Their lives exemplified the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy Will be done.” Mary and Joseph are shining examples of what it means to say yes and live in God’s will.

We are given the same opportunity to give our fiat. The enemy shouts that God’s way is hard and uncomfortable, but that is a lie, like every word he mutters. The truth is, once you accept God’s way, everything gets easier. Jesus’ burden is light. Our cross, our sacrifice, is not a punishment but the yoke that links us together with Christ. Our ‘Yes’ to God spreads the load, and we find that His way is much easier, much less of a burden than our way.