The Exercise Of Freedom

With two Marian Feast Dates (The Immaculate Conception and Our Lady of Guadalupe), the Church has given us this passage several times over the last two weeks. Perhaps today, a good question to ask is, why? What is it that the Church sees in this passage that is so important to return to it continually? As we read this passage and ponder that question, perhaps an additional question for us to consider is, what do we find so important in this passage? How it God speaking to us through these verses?

Gospel - Luke 1:26-38

In the sixth month,

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.

Scriptural Analysis

The announcement of the birth of Jesus follows the pattern of birth announcement found in the Old Testament as well as the narrative of the call of Gideon, “And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, ‘The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor.’” (Judges 6:12) As a birth announcement, this passage is about the birth of Jesus. As a call narrative, it is about Mary’s mission. The reference to the six month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy is intended to link Mary’s mission with the previous activity which, is all part of God’s one plan.

The town of Nazareth is in the lower part of Galilee. It was a small village with a few hundred inhabitants. It is not mentioned at all in the Old Testament, however, the town name comes from the Hebrew, netser, which means branch or shoot. This recalls the passage from Isaiah, “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.” (Isaiah 11:1)

Joseph is introduced as being from the house of David. He is betrothed to Mary, the first stage of a Jewish marriage. The groom presents a written document to his bride, but she remains in her parent’s home until the ceremony about a year later. Mary is the same name as Miriam, the sister of Aaron and Moses. She is presented as a virgin, a detail mentioned twice, noting the importance of that.

The greeting of the angel shows a deep understanding of the Greek Old Testament by Luke. The word used here, chaire, means rejoice but in the Greek Old Testament it is a summoning of the people of Israel to rejoice, “Rejoice and exult with all your heart.” (Zephaniah 3:14) The reason for this joy is the presence of the Lord, “The Lord, is in your midst.” (Zephaniah 3:15) Therefore, one should not be afraid, “Do not fear, O Zion.” (Zephaniah 3:16) Mary represents Israel as the faithful daughter of Zion.

Mary is the favored one, literally the one who has been graced: in the Latin Gratia Plena. The Greek makes it clear that this bestowing of grace is not something that is about to happen due to the visit by the angel but something that has already taken place and whose effects continue to the present.

Mary, too, is troubled by the angel’s visit and tries to understand the meaning of the greeting. The angel reassures Mary, telling her not to be afraid. Mary is told that she has found favor with God. The word favor, Charis, can also be translated as grace, relating this back to the angel’s greeting.

The instruction that she will conceive in her womb and bear a son with a specified name recalls the pronouncement of John’s birth, “Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.” (Luke 1:13) Both of these mirror the pronouncement to Abraham with regards to the birth of his son Isaac, “Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac.” (Genesis 17:19) Additionally, the focus on Mary’s virginity ties this pronouncement to the prophecy in Isaiah, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son and you shall name him Emmanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)

Whereas John the Baptist was great in the sight of God, Jesus will be great in an absolute sense. Jesus will also possess the throne of his father, David, and his kingdom will never end. This recalls what the Prophet Nathan spoke to David, “And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before me; your throne shall be established for ever.” (2 Samuel 7:16) Recall that after Solomon, the Davidic kingdom was split into two with the Northern Kingdom eventually falling to the Assyrians. There was a long expectation of a Messiah who would restore that kingdom.

Mary questions how it is possible for her to give birth. On the surface, this looks similar to the question Zechariah asked the angel when John’s birth was announced, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” (Luke 1:18). The difference is that Zechariah asked out of a sense of unbelief. Mary believed the angel but wanted instructions. Is there something she needs to do to make this happen?

Of course, the reason for the question is because she had not yet had relations with a man. Now this is a curious question from Mary. She was already betrothed, so within a year, the wedding would be complete, at which time she would move in with her husband, and normal marital relations would ensue. So, after this delay, the angel’s words would be fulfilled. That leaves two options. Either one, Mary interpreted the angel’s message to be immediate without delay. However, some Church Fathers have argued that Mary planned to have no relations with Joseph at all. That she already dedicated herself to God as a virgin. While this appears as a Christian ideal being imposed onto a Jewish context (since the Pharisees emphasized marriage), there were some Jewish sects, such as the Essenes, that practiced celibacy.

The angel explains that a virginal conception will occur through the power of the Holy Spirit. This child will be called the Son of God. Upon his coronation, the Davidic king was considered an adopted son of God: “I will be his father, and he shall be my son” (2 Samuel 7:14). The angel’s explanation points to divinity, however, as this is different.

The verb used here, overshadows, comes from the Greek episkiazō, and the only other place it is found in the gospel is at the transfiguration. It really how, for Moses, a cloud settled down over the tent of meeting, “the cloud abode upon it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.” (Exodus 40:35) This implies that Mary, about to become pregnant with Jesus, is the new living tent of meeting filled with God’s presence.

Mary is given a sign: the pregnancy of her cousin Elizabeth, who was considered barren. The announcement ends with Mary’s act of faith. She is the handmaid, female servant, or salve of the Lord. She humbly consented to God’s plan, “Let it be to me according to your word.”

Daily Application

Three times in 2 weeks. What is our Lord trying to tell us in this passage? Might I suggest the answer to that question is contained in these words from Mary, “May it be done to me according to your word.” This humble act of complete obedience to the will of God by our Blessed Mother is what the Lord is trying to get us to focus on.

We live in a world where freedom has been redefined as a license to do whatever one wants. However, that is not freedom but slavery. Slavery to one’s passions, impulses, and desires. True freedom consists of the ability to do what one ought to do. When the angel appeared before Mary, she was a betrothed woman. In essence, she was married in all things except conjugal relations. She likely had dreams for what her life was going to be like. Despite this, when the angel announced the birth of Christ, Mary exercised her freedom correctly. She chose to do what she knew she had to do.

Numerous times in our lives, we inappropriately exercise our freedom. That is what sin is: the improper exercise of our freedom. Yet God provides us with a means to right those wrongs through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. As we enter the final days of preparation for the Nativity of our Lord, I encourage you to go to confession if you have not already done so. If you are nervous, ask Mary to intercede for you and help you with those nerves. Start Christmas morning fresh and pray for the grace needed to be more like Mary in the exercise of your freedom.