Best Proposal Story Ever

If you really knew me you would know that I love a good proposal story. I love them all, the elaborate ones with rose petals on a beach, to the spontaneous ones with a blade of grass for an engagement ring. I love proposal stories because it marks the beginning of a covenant and it engages (pun intended) two hearts with one question and one answer that will change them both for good. Today’s gospel is a special sort of proposal. 

“’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.” But Mary was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Ah, she pondered, which means that she thought carefully about it before making a decision. Mary was greatly troubled even before there was any mention of a baby. When God steps into our lives, it should trouble us, because it hopefully has disrupted our usual lives so that we pay closer attention. Trouble or a certain restlessness is the starting point of discipleship and we see that clearly from Mary’s reaction. If we stop and look at our lives, we will notice all kinds of Angel Gabriel moments won’t we? God with us….EMMANUEL….will trouble us and praise God for the trouble.

“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.’” And there’s the proposal! I wonder if Gabriel got down on one knee (I hope he did!!). I never really noticed it before but this proposal was NOT in the form of a question, “Hail Mary, full of grace, will you marry me?” There was no “I don’t know what’s on your to do list for today, but how about becoming an unmarried teen mom? Or have you ever thought about, you know, being the mother of God?  NO, it was, “you WILL conceive in your womb and bear a son.” Even though God did not present this announcement in the form of a question, Mary still had a yes or no option, and we always have a yes or not option to God’s grace. He will never force us into relationship with him. But we learn another thing about Mary’s character in this particular exchange. So the angel, who obviously looked and sounded frightening based on Mary being greatly troubled by him, tells her that she has been chosen by God to give birth to his son, thus turning her whole life upside down, and in this great moment of tremendous fear, Mary has the courage to be able to ask a question, “How can this be?” Is that not an example of true prayer? Dialogue between us and our troublemaker, I mean Beloved?  Mary felt close enough to God to ask Him how. I want to be THAT close to God. Mary’s courage and authenticity shines forth in this moment when she questions God. There is dignity in our questions because when we question we are not saying no, we are saying that we are open to the possibility but we would like a little more information. Questions are a proactive response to the call and Mary teaches us to pray authentically whenever we are pondering something in our heart. Mary teaches us how to pray. 

“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.’”

The next part of the scene is my favorite part to imagine. Mary asked how, Gabe tells her sort of, because who really knows what the heck “the Holy Spirit will overshadow you” means, right, and then the ball is back in Mary’s court. Poets and painters have tried to capture this moment through art, and I’ve heard it described that the entire universe paused, and all the heavens and the earth stood still in the silence waiting for her soul to reply. Can you picture it like a movie…where everything on the screen freezes and there is an extreme close up on Mary’s face as she contemplates, as she ponders in her heart a decision that would save the entire world…It was as pregnant a pause as there ever was. Visualize all the angels and saints peering down from the heavens, and time standing still just waiting for her yes or no. She had a choice because God never forces us into relationship with him. And finally after the universe held is breath, she delivers the six words that would forever change each and every one of our lives…Let it be done unto me!

I am sure the champagne flowed freely in heaven, maybe cigars were passed around, mozeltoffs, high fives among the angels, party time in heaven because Jesus was officially entering the world! Best proposal story ever!!

So there is a kind of formula from this story that can be applied to each one of our annunciations or Angel Gabriel moments. 

1.     God Calls Us: Hail, favored one. Hello my beloved, Jen, it’s me.

2.     God Gifts Us: In Mary’s case, he gave her the gift of Messiah, courage, and grace, but in our case it will be different kinds of gifts for each one of us like music, or words, or kindness, or children, or time, or desire to serve, whatever. 

3.    We Respond In Prayer: Mary pondered it in her heart and then she asked how, and we too should move God’s call and His gifts into our hearts, right next to Jesus and then ask questions. Our response to the call is as important as the call. 

4.     There Is An Answer: It might not always be the answer that we want but that is why the question is so important because it opens us up to whatever possibility God has for us. 

5.     Birth or New Life: Mary brought Jesus into the world and we also bring Jesus into the world every time we share the fruit of our souls, every time we say yes to the Holy Spirit, every time we cooperate with grace, we bring new life. 

Great stuff to ponder today, friends!! I’ll leave you with a poem I wrote about the moment when the universe held its breath to hear one yes. How will you respond to your proposal today? It is well with my soul. 

Pregnant Pause

As I walk, weight and balance shift back and forth like a buoy on the water.

I'm at the mercy of rhythm and the rhythm never stops breathing 

in and out, up and down, through and through.

Breezy arms dance across my skin and tickle me 

with the oneness of creation.

I reflect on that "pregnant pause" the cosmos took when Mary pondered

yes OR no in her heart.

How long that moment must have been for the universe and 

how short that moment must have been for her.

Eternity mated with one single moment in time.

Irony, paradox, and perfection all rolled up into 

one whisper, one answer, one yes.

Do our everyday whispers, and answers, and yeses consummate?

I believe they do but I will ponder it in my heart until the day comes

when I too will say yes OR no to love.

Will the universe stand still for my pregnant pause?

I don't know but let it be one unto me.

Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
Lectionary: 545

Reading 1 IS 7:10-14; 8:10

The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying:
Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God;
let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky!
But Ahaz answered,
"I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!"
Then Isaiah said:
Listen, O house of David!
Is it not enough for you to weary people,
must you also weary my God?
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel,
which means "God is with us!" 

Responsorial Psalm PS 40:7-8A, 8B-9, 10, 11

R. (8a and 9a) Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Holocausts or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, "Behold I come."
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
"In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!"
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Your justice I kept not hid within my heart;
your faithfulness and your salvation I have spoken of;
I have made no secret of your kindness and your truth
in the vast assembly.
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

Reading 2 HEB 10:4-10

Brothers and sisters:
It is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats
take away sins.
For this reason, when Christ came into the world, he said:

"Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
in holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight.
Then I said, 'As is written of me in the scroll,
behold, I come to do your will, O God.'"

First he says, "Sacrifices and offerings,
holocausts and sin offerings,
you neither desired nor delighted in."
These are offered according to the law.
Then he says, "Behold, I come to do your will."
He takes away the first to establish the second.
By this "will," we have been consecrated
through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Verse Before The Gospel JN 1:14AB

The Word of God became flesh and made his dwelling among us;
and we saw his glory.

Gospel LK 1:26-38

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.