From the Gospel according to Luke. Lk 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.”
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.”
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.
The Gospel of the Lord
Supernatural Fruits
Mary knew the prophecies and understood that a Virgin would bring Emmanuel, the Savior, into the world. She was entrusted with this mission and chose to surrender her will, becoming the Lord’s servant. Each of us has a mission, and to fulfill it, we must also surrender our will to God, just as Mary did. Are you ready to surrender yours?
Applied to Married Life:
Joe: I’m not sure we fully realize the mission God has entrusted to us: to manifest and live out His eternal covenant through our marriage. It’s something deeply supernatural, which is why we need to open ourselves to God and let Him work through us.
Lola: I don’t really understand what you’re saying. Can you explain it in simpler terms? You’ve been studying so much that you’ve become way too intellectual for me.
Joe: I mean that through our Sacrament, the Lord has given us a grace that is supernatural but that we are unable to fulfill unless He makes it happen.
Lola: Got it. So what’s our part in this?
Joe: Our part is to have faith that every time we give of ourselves to each other and lovingly receive one another, His Love is acting supernaturally. That’s when we’ll start to see supernatural fruits in our relationship. What do you think?
Lola: Wow. That’s amazing—it really is.
Mother,
Help us recognize the greatness of our mission and the incredible gift God has given us through the Sacrament of Marriage. We are truly part of a profound mystery. Glory to God!