This is my favorite painting of the Annunciation by Henry Ossawa Tanner.
Can you imagine what Mary felt like when the angel Gabriel came to see her?
From Luke 1:26-33.
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed[a] to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”[b] But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
We all know Mary said, “YES”.
I’m wondering this Christmas season if you can imagine an Angel of the Lord or maybe Jesus himself, coming to you and saying, “You have found favor with God”. Can you imagine?
Well, it’s true. You have found favor with God. He loves you so much He sent His Son. The greatest gift of all time.
What’s the posture of your heart? Are you ready to receive this gift?
I found this poem about the annunciation by Marie Howe and I just love it so much I had to share.
Annunciation by Marie Howe
Even if I don’t see it again—nor ever feel it
I know it is—and that if once it hailed me
it ever does—
And so it is myself I want to turn in that direction
not as towards a place, but it was a tilting
within myself,
as one turns a mirror to flash the light to where
it isn’t—I was blinded like that—and swam
in what shone at me
only able to endure it by being no one and so
specifically myself I thought I’d die
from being loved like that.
YOU are “loved like that”. We all are. I hope and pray this Christmas we receive it.