Isaiah 7:10-14
Psalm 24
Luke 1:26-38
In Denise Levertov’s, Annunciation (1989), she says, “we are told of meek obedience. No one mentions courage … [Mary] was free to accept or to refuse … Bravest of all humans, consent illumined her … courage unparalleled, opened her utterly.”
In our daily lives, we all experience annunciations or ‘calls,’ big and small, but none as momentous as Mary’s as recorded in Luke 1:26-38. But as Mary had Elizabeth, we have family, friends, and fellow community members with whom we can share our annunciations and the wondrous paths that they open for us. And unlike Mary, we can reflect on our ‘calls’ by making a Retreat or consulting innumerable resources for our prayer and discernment conversations. Although we may or may not have the extent of Mary’s courage, the consents we do muster often serve to illumine us and open us to new, fulfilling vistas. In the Indigenous translation of the New Testament (2021), Creator’s Mighty One (Gabriel) says to Mary, “Do not fear for you have found goodwill in the eyes of the Great Mystery. You will name him Creator Sets Free (Jesus).” (v.30-31) We have all found goodwill in the eyes of the Great Mystery. As we anticipate yet again, the coming of Creator Sets Free in our lives, let us continue to ask ourselves what needs to be freed in our lives, and how we can open ourselves to truly welcome that new reality.
Cate McBurney