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Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.

Reflection by Kerri Baunach

Today's Gospel: Luke 1:26-38

 

Imagine St. Luke sitting with Mary while she tells the story of the angel visiting her. Maybe they are drinking tea as they chat with a plate of biscuits or bread between then. St. Luke listens attentively while taking notes, Mary looks wistfully into the distance as she recalls the unbelievable events of that long-ago day. Don’t you wish you could be sitting there in the corner listening in?

I wonder how much of Mary’s story was unknown prior to St. Luke’s interview. Was he surprised by the full story? Or did it all make sense once all the gaps were filled in? And I wonder what most struck St. Luke about this story as he listened?

I’m struck at this time at how readily Mary accepted God’s will for her. She doesn’t question the angel the same way as Zechariah, who doesn’t believe the message he is given. Mary only asks how the events are to take place. She accepts the message God has sent her and only wonders how. Once satisfied she pronounces her Fiat and says, “May it be done according to your word.” Just as we pray in the Our Father, “Thy will be done.”

When I pray the Lord’s prayer, I wonder if I truly believe it when I pray, “Thy will be done.” Do I really mean it? I am positive that there were times I was not willing to accept God’s will, certainly not as readily as Mary. I hope there have been times when I did accept as Mary did, but I fear I’m more often like Zechariah than I’d care to admit. I hope that moving forward I can look to Mary’s words and try to emulate her when accepting God’s will for me.

 

Ponder:

 

Are you completely open to God’s Divine will for your life and willing to accept it as readily as Mary at the Annunciation?

 

Pray:


My Lord and my God, please make Your will known to me, I pray for the courage and strength to always follow Your will in my life. Amen.

 


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I can look to Mary’s words and try to emulate her when accepting God’s will for me. #dailygospel

 

Daily Gospel 4


Copyright 2021 Kerri Baunach

Kerri Baunach lives in Lexington, KY with her husband and three boys. She’s a Benedictine Oblate with the Archabbey of St. Meinrad in Indiana, heads up the Vocations Ministry at her parish, and is a former writer and editor at CatholicSistas.com.