"Magkalipay ka! Ikaw nga labing nahamut-an, ang Ginoo yara sa imo!"

Ebanghelyo subong nga Adlaw (Lucas 1:26-38)

Sa ikan-om nga bulang sang pagbusong ni Elisabet ginpadala sang Dios si Gabriel nga anghel didto sa banwa sang Galilea nga ginatawag Nazaret. 

Ang anghel may dala nga mensahi para sa isa ka ulay nga dalaga nga kalasalon sa isa ka tawo nga ginhingalanan kay Jose nga kaliwat ni Haring David. Ang ngalan sang dalaga amo si Maria. 

Ang anghel nagpakita sa iya kag nagsiling, "Magkalipay ka! Ikaw nga labing nahamut-an, ang Ginoo yara sa imo!" 

Sang pagkabati ni Maria sang ginsiling sang anghel natublag gid sia, kag nagpalibog kon ano ang kahulogan sang ginhambal sang anghel. 

Nagsiling ang anghel sa iya, "Indi ka magkahadlok, Maria, kay nahamut-an ka sang Dios. 

Yari karon, magabusong ka kag magaanak sang isa ka bata nga lalaki, kag pagahingalanan mo sia kay Jesus. 

Mangindaku sia kag pagatawgon nga Anak sang Labing Makagagahom nga Dios. Ang Ginoong Dios magahimo sa iya nga hari subong sang iya amay nga si David, kag manginhari sia sing dayon sa mga kaliwat ni Jacob kag ang iya ginharian wala sing katapusan." 

Si Maria nagsabat sa anghel, "Ano ang pagkahimo sini, kay ulay ako nga babayi?" 

Ang anghel nagsabat, "Ang Espiritu Santo magakaunsad sa imo, kag ang gahom sang Dios magalikop sa imo. Tungod sini ang balaan nga bata nga matawo sa imo pagatawgon nga Anak sang Dios. 

Dumdoma bala ang imo paryente nga si Elisabet. Bisan tigulang na sia kag baw-as, nagabusong na sing anom ka bulan sang isa ka bata nga lalaki. 

Kay sa Dios wala sing bisan ano nga indi mahimo." 38 Si Maria nagsiling, "Alagad ako sang Ginoo. Kabay nga matuman ini sa akon suno sa imo ginsiling." Kag ang anghel nagbiya sa iya. 

Prayer: 

"Heavenly Father, you offer us abundant grace, mercy, and forgiveness through your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Help me to live a grace-filled life as Mary did by believing in your promises and by giving you my unqualified 'yes' to your will and plan for my life." 

***

Reflections of the Daily Gospel: 

How does God reveal his favor to us? In the psalms we pray, "Lord, show me a sign of your favor" (Psalm 86:17). In the Old Testament God performed many signs and miracles to demonstrate his love and mercy for his people, such as their deliverance from slavery in Egypt and the miraculous crossing of the Red sea on dry land (Psalm 78:43-53). When Ahaz, king of Judah and heir to the throne of David (735 B.C.) was surrounded by forces that threatened to destroy him and his people, God offered him a sign to reassure him that God would not abandon the promise he made to David and his descendants. King Ahaz, however, had lost hope in God and refused to ask for a sign of favor. God, nonetheless, gave a sign to assure his people that he would indeed give them a Savior who would rule with peace and righteousness (Isaiah 7:11ff). 

We see the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy and the unfolding of God's plan of redemption in the events leading up to the Incarnation, the birth of the Messiah King. The new era of salvation begins with the miraculous conception of Jesus in the womb of Mary. This child to be born is conceived by the gracious action of the Holy Spirit upon Mary, who finds favor with God (Luke 1:28). As Eve was the mother of all humanity doomed to sin, now Mary becomes the mother of the new Adam who will father a new humanity by his grace (Romans 5:12-21). This child to be conceived in her womb is the fulfillment of all God’s promises. He will be “great” and “Son of the Most High” and “King” and his name shall be called “Jesus” (Luke 1:31-32), which means “the Lord saves.” “He will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). The angel repeats to Mary, the daughter of the house of David, the promise made to King David: "The Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end" (2 Samuel 7:12-16, Isaiah 9:6-7, Luke 1:32-33). 

How does Mary respond to the word of God delivered by the angel Gabriel? She knows she is hearing something beyond human capability. It will surely take a miracle which surpasses all that God has done previously. Her question, “how shall this be, since I have no husband” is not prompted by doubt or skepticism, but by wonderment! She is a true hearer of the Word and she immediately responds with faith and trust. Mary's prompt response of "yes" to the divine message is a model of faith for all believers. Mary believed God's promises even when they seemed impossible. She was full of grace because she trusted that what God said was true and would be fulfilled. She was willing and eager to do God's will, even if it seemed difficult or costly. Mary is the “mother of God” because God becomes incarnate when he takes on flesh in her womb. When we pray the Nicene Creed we state our confession of faith in this great mystery: “For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit, he became incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and was made man”. God gives us grace and he expects us to respond with the same willingness, obedience, and heartfelt trust as Mary did. When God commands he also gives the help, strength, and means to respond. We can either yield to his grace or resist and go our own way. Do you believe in God's promises and do you yield to his grace?