Listening to the Word of God is important to our faith; Jesus says, "Blessed is the one who hears my word and puts it into practice" (Lk 11:28). So, if the Lord expects us to listen and to follow his Word, we can expect to find help in Revelation telling us how to do it. Take, for example, the story of the Annunciation, which features Mary receiving a message from the Lord through the angel Gabriel. And God's Word is specific: She shall conceive a baby boy in her womb through the power of the Holy Spirit (Mt 1.18; Lk 1.31, 35).  This icon of the Annunciation on the doors to the sanctuary is one of four icons at Holy Eucharist Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in New Westminster, British Columbia. (CNS photo/Nicholas Elbers, B.C. Catholic) |
The crisis that God's Word initiates in the life of Mary is not surprising. She wonders how it can be. Her response is a model for listening to the Word of God. The details are well known. Before God's request is made known to Mary, Gabriel says to her: "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you." The greeting "greatly troubles" Mary and she "ponders" what it means. Here we see that God's Word is not always understood immediately and that we may have to consider God's Word prayerfully before coming to any understanding or making a decision. Very significant is what Mary does not do: she does not pretend to understand something she in fact doesn't. But by pondering God's Word, she shows her willingness to continue listening and to wait for clarification. She doesn't have to wait long. The angel responds by saying to her, "Do not be afraid," and then explains that "The Lord is with you" means she has found favor with God and God has chosen her to bear his Son. This clears up what God means, but not how it's going to happen. So Mary continues to ponder: "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" Notice that Mary is not doubting that God can do what he says; she is simply trying to understand how it will happen. Mary continues to listen prayerfully to God's Word and God clarifies things one more time: It is by the Holy Spirit that this will happen. And to help Mary more God provides a corroborating word: Elizabeth will also conceive and bear a son. After listening and pondering the Word of God, and testing it against another Word of God, Mary acts: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Mary's responses to God's Word demonstrate that she has learned how to listen to God. She is unwilling to act hastily or to base her responses only on her own feelings or thoughts, even when the Word of God does not seem to make much sense at first. She honors God's Word by giving it appropriate discernment. When, however, God's Word has been clarified and confirmed through more prayer and listening, Mary does not hesitate to act on the Word. The fruit of Mary listening to the Word of God is the entrance of the Messiah into human history and the offer of salvation to all people. Her example gives us hope that our own attentive listening to God's Word may bear fruit for the common good. |
