St. Gabriel delivered a message of hope. What type of messenger are we?
We are entering the third week of Advent. Gaudete Sunday, Rejoice Sunday! We are well on our way as we continue to prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus. While we prepare to celebrate His birth, we continually pray and reflect on our openness to have room for Him in the inn of our hearts. When He knocks, will we happily open the door to Him or keep it closed in fear? Celebrating Christmas comes at a set time that we can prepare for, but would we recognize Jesus if He came when we weren’t expecting Him to come? Just as those in Bethlehem were not expecting Him, the same may one day happen to us as we busy ourselves with our daily responsibilities. Advent helps us to reflect on our openness to recognizing Him whenever and however He chooses to do so.
On this third week of Advent, I invite you to reflect with me on St. Gabriel, who was given the responsibility of bringing the Father’s message to Mary.
Saint Gabriel was the angel sent by God to deliver a message that would change the world. What must it have been like to carry that message of hope? What was it like giving a message to someone who was so loved by God? What was it like knowing his words needed to open the heart of Mary so she would say yes and yet not knowing if his words would be received. What thoughts penetrated his heart when her first reaction was one of fear? What was it like being in the middle, between the author of the message and the recipient? What must the anticipation been like? When Saint Gabriel finished, what was his reception in Heaven like?
There are times when all of us are in situations that cause us to carry a message of sorts that can change everything for the good if received. In big or small messages, what can I learn from watching Saint Gabriel? How do I handle delivering little messages? What about the bigger ones? How do I view the person I am giving the message to? When someone has a difficult message to give me, am I aware of their feelings?
As I prepare for Advent how can I use both great and small messages that I may need to deliver to help me understand Gabriel at the annunciation? How can this help me draw closer to God? In disturbing news, can I recognize the difficulty while at the same time delivering it in a hope-filled way knowing hope is a powerful prayer that can change everything? Much to pray and ponder… Saint Gabriel, pray for us.
PRAYERFULLY REFLECT ON:
Luke 1:26-38
Reflect on each of the bolded questions above as they pertained to how St. Gabriel may have felt as he presented the Father’s message to Mary. Talk to God about what you have reflected upon.
Reflect on the bolded questions above as they pertain to your life and how you can relate them to your relationship with Jesus. Talk to God about what you have reflected on.
How can you live the result of these reflections out during this Advent week and as you move forward in life?