7 Annunciation and Incarnation
7 Annunciation and Incarnation ANNUNCIATION TO THE MOST HOLY VIRGIN MARY ABOUT THE INCARNATION OF THE SON OF GOD FROM HER (Luke 1: 26-38) Sixth months after the conception of St. John the Baptist, the Angel Gabriel was sent to the small town of Nazareth, located in the tribe of Zebulun in the southern part of Galilee, to a Virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, named Mary. The Evangelist does not say: "to the virgin who was married" but to the "betrothed to husband." lt means that The Virgin Mary was formally, in the eyes of everyone and from the point of view of the law, considered the wife of Joseph, although she was not his wife in reality. According to tradition, at the age of 3 y.o. the Most Holy Virgin Mary was given by Her parents to serve at the temple. Then her parents died and She could not return home when She turned 14. According to the law, She could no longer stay there and would have to marry, following the custom. The high priest and the priests, having learned that She had taken a vow of perpetual virginity and not wanting Her to be left alone without protection, formally betrothed Her to Her relative, the eighty-year-old elder Joseph, known for his righteous life, who already had a large family from his first marriage (Matthew 13: 55-56) and was, by occupation, a carpenter. When the Angel entered the Virgin, he called Her "gracious", i. e. having grace with God (see v. 30), that is, the special love and favor of God, the help of God, necessary for holy and great deeds. The Angel's words confused Mary, and She began to reflect on their meaning. Having calmed Her, the Angel predicts the birth of a Son from Her, Who will be great, but not like John, but much more, because He will not just be filled with the grace-giving gifts of God, like John, but will Himself be "the Son of the Most High".
Why does the Angel say that the Lord will give Him the throne of David His father, and that He will reign in the house of Jacob? Because the Jewish kingdom in the Old Testament had as its purpose the preparation of people for the spiritual eternal Kingdom of Christ, to be gradually transformed into it. Consequently, the kingdom of David, as one governed according to the laws of God is linked with the Kingdom of God of the New Testament.
The question of the Most Holy Virgin Mary: "How shall this be, if I do not know a man?" would have been completely incomprehensible and would not have made sense if She had not vowed to God to remain a virgin forever. The angel explained to Her that Her vow would not be broken, since She would give birth to a Son in a supernatural way, without a husband. The seedless conception will be produced by the Holy Spirit, by "the power of the Most High". The Son of God Himself (see I Cor.1:24) will overshadow Her, will descend into Her, like the cloud that once overshadowed the tabernacle, "in a cloud of light," (Is. 19:1). The Most Holy Virgin did not demand any proof from the Angel, but He himself, in confirmation of the truth of his words, pointed out to Her Elizabeth, who conceived a son in a very old age, by the will of God, for whom nothing is impossible. Although the Most Holy Virgin knew from the prophetic books that not only glory, but also sorrow awaits her with the Divine Son. However, submissive to the will of God in everything, She answers: "Behold the handmade of the Lord: be it unto me according to thy word." Having received the good news, the Most Holy Virgin did not say anything about this to Joseph, rightly fearing that he might not believe Her.
THE MEETING OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY WITH ELIZABETH
(Luke 1: 39-56)
The Most Holy Virgin hastens to share Her joy with Her kinswoman Elizabeth, who lived in Judea, in the city of Juda near the priestly city of Hebron. Elisaveta greets Her with the same unusual greeting with which the Angel addressed Her: "Blessed art Thou among women" and, moreover, added: "and blessed is the Fruit of Thy womb," although, as a relative, she probably knew about the vow of virginity given by Mary. Then she joyfully exclaims: " And whence is this to me, that the Mother of my Lord may come to me?" she explained that she was saying all this because when the voice of Mary's greeting reached her ears, the baby she was carrying was joyfully leaping up in her womb. The baby of Elizabeth, under the inspiration of The Holy Spirit, sensed the proximity of another Baby, for Whom he would have to prepare humanity, and made an extraordinary movement in the womb of his mother. The action of The Holy Spirit passed to Elizabeth, and she instantly learned what joyful news Mary had brought, and glorified Her as the Mother of God. She pleases Her for the faith to the Angelic words, as if contrasting this faith with the unbelief of her husband Zachariah.