Today we celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation. Mary’s first reaction to the Angel Gabriel was: “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” She realized that her life was irrevocably changed forever. She had to “die” to her old way of thinking in order to pass to something much greater, to something new and better.
Throughout my life I have experienced little dying also. Nothing like Mary experienced, but dying just the same. I have been laid off from three different jobs, one just before Christmas. These were traumatic at the time, but always led to something new and better. Also when I was a young adult I gave up smoking. This seemed like dying at the time but was really a passing to a healthier life style.
When we forgive someone who hurt us greatly, this too is a dying to an angry, vindictive, sour relationship. It takes dying to an old way of thinking in order to come to a new and better attitude in life. Jesus said that if we want to be his disciple, we have to die to our old way of life. So let us resolve to be people of mercy and forgiveness and not hold on to past hurts. Today let us ask Mary to intercede for us so that we can remain faithful to our commitments. Although she was without original sin, she certainly knew what it was like to be human, to feel weary, and to be pulled by temptations !
St. Joseph, husband of Mary, pray for us!
DeColores, Deacon Doug
