Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
Readings for the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord? click here for the lectionary readings
First Published: Saturday, March 25, 2006
You're Pregnant?
Reflection:
As we continue our journey in the desert of lent we get today a light on the horizon as we celebrate the Annunciation of Lord. As we struggle inwardly to discover ways of making ourselves into what God wants us to be, we are given the example of Mary, Mother of God (Theo Tokas) and her example of selfless obedience to God.
While cultural situations have changed and the present day stigma of having a child out of wedlock is not what it once was, we can still appreciate what Mary was accepting when she said to Gabriel "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word."
It stimulates one of those questions that is right up there with the one we ask on Good Friday when we invariably ask ourselves "Would I have been shouting; 'Crucify him!'" Today we ask ourselves; "If it had been me, would I have said yes?" We ask ourselves this question knowing that in Mary's time, adulterous women were stoned to death.
Oh, and we know from the story, Mary knew those consequences. We can almost hear her inner voice when she tells Gabriel; "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" She knew all right.
Can you imagine a young girl today, even a very spiritual one, having a visit from an apparition that tells her –
"You have been selected to become pregnant at the hand of God." What do you think would happen? Well fist she'd probably go and tell her parents –
"Guess what mom and dad, I've been chosen by God to get pregnant." And after dad picked mom up off the floor and told her she was stupid for having had premarital sex, they would probably start taking about adoption or worse.
So perhaps the girl goes and tells her boy friend, same thing – "Guess what Joe, God has picked me to get pregnant." Joe's response? - "Hey it's not mine." And that's probably the last we see of Joe.
Things have not changed that much. This was an amazing event. When you think about the likely answer to the question posed above, the scenario could easily have been – Joseph rejects Mary's explanation, goes and tells the local elders, and Mary is stoned to death the next day.
This extraordinary event gives us not only an example of faith in God but an example of faith and love for one another. Mary could not have made the choice she did if she did not believe that her parents would believer her incredible story and that Joseph would be understanding of her unparalleled role in God's saving work.
Today we celebrate indeed. God, once more has given us hope in the desert. The Mother of God has once more brought us an example of faith we can aspire to. Pax
I welcome your comments. If you would like to make one and are not registered on Myspace, you can email me at miles_jj@excite.com and, if you wish, I will post your response as a comment. Thanks.
Scripture[1] from Is 7:10-14; 8:10
Jerome Biblical Commentary[2]
10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz:
11 5 Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God; let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky!
12 6 But Ahaz answered, "I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!"
13 Then he said: Listen, O house of David! Is it not enough for you to weary men, must you also weary my God?
5 [11] Deep . . . sky: an extraordinary or miraculous sign that would prove God's firm will to save the royal house of David from its oppressors.
6 [12] Tempt the LORD: Ahaz expresses in this hypocritical way his preference for depending upon the might of Assyria rather than upon God.
(ll) The Book of Emmanuel (7:1-12:6).
(A) National Crisis Under Ahaz (7:1--9:6). These events took place in 735-733. The situation is concisely described in 2 Kgs 16:5-9, the events of the Syro-Ephraimitic War.
(a) Two SIGNS FOR THE KING
12. Ahaz rejects the offer of a "sign" ('ôt), which, in the OT and NT, is usually some event assuring man of a divine intervention. It is a form of revelation; in this case, the sign is meant to be a confirmation of Yahweh's first message to Ahaz (S. Porubcan, CBQ 22 [1960] 145). Ahaz's refusal was undoubtedly motivated by his unwillingness to follow Isaiah's advice.
14 7 Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.
7 [14] The sign proposed by Isaiah was concerned with the preservation of Judah in the midst of distress (cf Isaiah 7:15, 17), but more especially with the fulfillment of God's earlier promise to David (2 Sam 7:12-16) in the coming of Immanuel (meaning, "With us is God") as the ideal king (cf Isaiah 9:5-6; 11:1-5). The Church has always followed St. Matthew in seeing the transcendent fulfillment of this verse in Christ and his Virgin Mother. The prophet need not have known the full force latent in his own words; and some Catholic writers have sought a preliminary and partial fulfillment in the conception and birth of the future King Hezekiah, whose mother, at the time Isaiah spoke, would have been a young, unmarried woman (Hebrew, almah). The Holy Spirit was preparing, however, for another Nativity which alone could fulfill the divinely given terms of Immanuel's mission, and in which the perpetual virginity of the Mother of God was to fulfill also the words of this prophecy in the integral sense intended by the divine Wisdom
Is. 8
10 5 Form a plan, and it shall be thwarted; make a resolve, and it shall not be carried out, for "With us is God!"
5 [10] The plan of Israel's enemies will be thwarted because, as the name "Immanuel" signifies, With us is God.
14. An immense literature has grown up around this oracle and the debate continues. Several points may be noted. Isaiah does not use the technical word for "virgin" (betûlâ) but a word ('almâ) that signifies a young woman of marriageable age, whether a virgin or not. The solemn oracle is spoken before the royal court, fearful lest the Davidic dynasty be overthrown. Such a catastrophe would mean the cancellation of the great dynastic promise made to David's house (2 Sm 7:12-16). It was on the royal successor to David that Judah pinned her hopes for the welfare of God's people. The child about to be born, therefore, may be the young Hezekiah in whose birth Judah would see the continuing presence of God among his people and another renewal of the promise made to David. Nevertheless, the solemnity of the oracle and the name "Emmanuel" lend credence to the opinion that Isaiah's perspective does not stop at the birth of Hezekiah; it moves ahead to that ideal king of David's line through whose coming God could finally be said to be definitively with his people. This does not mean, of course, that Isaiah foresaw the fulfillment of this prophecy in Christ, but he expressed the hope that Christ perfectly realized. Matthew and the Church have seen in the birth of Christ from the Virgin Mother the perfect fulfillment of this prophecy.
(Auvray and Steinmann, Isai'e, 48. Coppens,]., "L'interpretation d'ls. 7,14 it la lumiere des etudes les plus recentes," Lex Tua Veritas [Fest. H. Junker; Trier, 1961] 31-45, esp. bibliog. Vawter, The Conscience of Israel, 182-84.)
[1] All biblical references -New American Bible United States Conference of Catholic Bishops 3211 4th Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20017-1194 (202) 541-3000 December 09, 2002 Copyright © by United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
[2] All references to Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc.© 1968
Scripture from Ps 40:7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 11
Jerome Biblical Commentary
7 3 sacrifice and offering you do not want; but ears open to obedience you gave me. Holocausts and sin-offerings you do not require;
8 so I said, "Here I am; your commands for me are written in the scroll.
9 To do your will is my delight; my God, your law is in my heart!"
10 I announced your deed to a great assembly; I did not restrain my lips; you, LORD, are my witness.
11 Your deed I did not hide within my heart; your loyal deliverance I have proclaimed. I made no secret of your enduring kindness to a great assembly.
3 [7-9] Obedience is better than sacrifice (cf 1 Sam 15:22; Isaiah 1:10-20; Hosea 6:6; Amos 5:22-25; Micah 6:6-8; Acts 7:42-43 [quoting Amos 5:25-26]). Hebrews 10:5-9 quotes the somewhat different Greek version and interprets it as Christ's self-oblation.
Ps 40. A thanksgiving Ps and an individual lament. More probably it is composed of two separate Pss: 2-11 (or 2-12, with 13 being a transition to 14-18), and 12-18 (or perhaps 14-18, which is also to be found in Ps 70:2-6). For some scholars (e.g., Weiser) 40A (2-11) is a thanksgiving for past deliverance, which is supposed to serve as an introduction to the lament of 40B (12-18);
hence, the whole prayer would be a unit. Structure of 40A: 2-4, the story of how Yahweh delivered the psalmist from the pit (power of Sheol); 5-6, a beatitude formula with recommendation to trust, and a testimony to God's deeds before those who are present in the Temple; 7-11, the psalmist's "sacrifice" of thanksgiving and proclamation of the deliverance wrought by the Lord. 7-11. Although a Ps such as this accompanies a sacrifice, the psalmist says that God prefers obedience to any type (four kinds are mentioned) of sacrifice. This emphasis should be interpreted like similar prophetic statements on sacrifice (Am 5:21ff.; Is 1:10ff.; etc.); it singles out dedication and commitment as the only adequate responses to God without rejecting the principle of sacrifice (cf. De Vaux, AI 454-56). written scroll: Tile Law or the expression of God's will, which is also within his "heart." Hence, he proclaims in a testimony Yahweh's "justice"-his fidelity in delivering his Servant-on the occasion of a feast before a "vast assembly." In Heb 10:5-9, the LXX of 6-8 is applied to the Messiah, as though the lines were addressed by the Son to the Father. As indicated above, 12-13 can be taken with 14-18; these will be discussed in Ps 70, a doublet form, which circulated independently.
Scripture from Heb 10:4-10
Jerome Biblical Commentary
4 for it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats take away sins.
The one sacrifice of Jesus is the source of remission of past sins (9:15), and because of it he is forever the source of salvation (5 :9); because of its perfection, no further sacrifice is necessary or possible. 3-4. for it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats can take away sins: The OT sacrifices brought past sins into remembrance but could not efface them. This is in direct opposition to the statement of late-Jewish belief found in Jub 5 :17-18. It does not seem, however, that the "remembrance" (Gk anamnesis) of sin means that it was believed that "the cultic rites actually bring past sins into the present" (so H. Montefiore, A Commentary, 165; similarly, J. Behm, "Anamnesis," ThDNT 1, 348f.). (For the Semitic concept of remembrance, which is often invoked in this connection, cf. W. Schottroff, "Gedenken" im alten Orient und im Alten Testament [Neukirchen, 1964] II7-26; 339-41.) It is not clear whether God or the offerer is the one who "remembers" the sins. The former interpretation is suggested by 8 :12, which points to the time of the new covenant when God will no longer remember the sins of his people, and by the statement of Philo (De plant. 108) that the sacrifices of the wicked "put Him in remembrance" of their sins. But in that case, the author would mean that all the sacrifices, whether offered by the repentant or the unrepentant, served only to remind God of sin, and actually called forth punishment of the offerer, and v. 4, as well as other texts of Heb, speaks only of the inefficaciousness of these sacrifices rather than of their positive harmfulness for the offerer.
5 For this reason, when he came into the world, he said: 3 "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me;
6 holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight in.
7 Then I said, 'As is written of me in the scroll, Behold, I come to do your will, O God.'"
3 [5-7] A passage from Psalm 40:7-9 is placed in the mouth of the Son at his incarnation. As usual, the author follows the Septuagint text. There is a notable difference in Hebrews 10:5 (Psalm 40:7), where the Masoretic text reads "ears you have dug for me" ("ears open to obedience you gave me," NAB), but most Septuagint manuscripts have "a body you prepared for me," a reading obviously more suited to the interpretation of Hebrews.
5-7. The words of Ps 40 :7-9a are here attributed to the Son at his incarnation. The quotation follows the LXX in substance. In v. 7b of the Ps, the MT reads "ears you have dug for me" (to hear and obey God's will). The majority of LXX mss. have the reading given in Heb: "you have prepared a body for me." The meaning of the Ps is that God prefers obedience to sacrifice; it is not a repudiation of the ritual but a statement of its relative inferiority. Since Jesus' obedience to God's will was expressed by his willing offering of his body (i.e., himself) in death, the LXX reading of v. 7b is peculiarly applicable to him, so much so that it has been thought that the reading was introduced into the LXX under the influence of Heb (cf. J. Hering, L'Epitre aux Hebreux, 95, n. 1).
8 First he says, "Sacrifices and offerings, holocausts and sin offerings, 4 you neither desired nor delighted in." These are offered according to the law.
4 [8] Sacrifices and offerings, holocausts and sin offerings: these four terms taken from the preceding passage of Psalm 40 (with the first two changed to plural forms) are probably intended as equivalents to the four principal types of Old Testament sacrifices: peace offerings (Lev 3, here called sacrifices); cereal offerings (Lev 2, here called offerings); holocausts (Lev 1); and sin offerings (Lev 4-5). This last category includes the guilt offerings of Lev 5:14-19.
8. sacrifices and offerings, holocausts and sin offerings you did not desire nor delight in-although the Law prescribes them: These terms for sacrifice are probably meant to cover the four main types, i.e., peace offerings ("sacrifices"), cereal offerings ("offerings"), holocausts, and sin offerings. The last includes the guilt offerings (cf. Lv 5:6,7, where the names of the two are interchanged, although the CCD does not make that clear). The phrase "although the Law prescribes them" prepares for the statement of v. 9 that the Law has been annulled in this respect.
9 Then he says, "Behold, I come to do your will." He takes away the first to establish the second
9. then he says, Behold, I have come to do your will. He annuls the former in order to establish the latter: God's preferring obedience to sacrifice is interpreted as a repudiation of the OT sacrifices, and their replacement by the voluntary self-offering of Jesus.
10 By this "will," we have been consecrated through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
10. it is by this will that we have been consecrated: "This will" is the will of God, carried out by Christ, that he offer in death the body that God "prepared" for him. The offering of Jesus' body means the same as the shedding of his blood; each expresses the total self-offering of Christ.
Due to the Length of the Commentary on this Gospel, the verses will be entered in Bold followed by the commentary as opposed to the table format above.
Lk 1:26-38
26 10 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
10 [26-38] The announcement to Mary of the birth of Jesus is parallel to the announcement to Zechariah of the birth of John. In both the angel Gabriel appears to the parent who is troubled by the vision (Luke 1:11-12, 26-29) and then told by the angel not to fear (Luke 1:13, 30). After the announcement is made (Luke 1:14-17, 31-33) the parent objects (Luke 1:18, 34) and a sign is given to confirm the announcement (Luke 1:20, 36). The particular focus of the announcement of the birth of Jesus is on his identity as Son of David (Luke 1:32-33) and Son of God (Luke 1:32, 35).
(b) THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE BIRTH OF JESUS
(1 :26-38). The strict parallel in details between this annunciation scene and that of the Baptist, along with the overwhelming textual evidence, disqualifies any attempt to delete verses like 34 and 35, where Mary's virginal conception of Jesus is stated explicitly. To claim that the idea of virginal conception did not come from the Jewish-Christian background of these chapters but rather from pagan, Greco-Roman mythology (cf. J. M. Creed, Luke, 13-16) clashes with the reasons already given for the very early Jewish origin of the Lucan Infancy Narrative.
26. sixth month: That is, of Elizabeth's pregnancy. Nazareth: An insignificant town, never mentioned in the OT, in the Talmud, or by Josephus, despised by the Palestinians of Jesus' own time (Jn 1:46), and inhabited by jealous, material-minded people (Lk 4:23-30).
27 to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary.
27. virgin: Lk twice stresses Mary's virginity. In Hebrew her name, Miryam, means "exalted one" (see E. Vogt, VD 26 [1948] 163-68). Joseph, Mary's betrothed, seems to have been of Judean stock, possibly an inhabitant of Bethlehem. Through Joseph, therefore, as Jesus' legal father, and not through Mary, did Jesus inherit a claim to the Davidic throne.
28 And coming to her, he said, "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you."
28. hail, full of grace: The Greek is melodious, chaire kecharitomene. The word "grace" (charis) is associated in Lk with joy (chara) and wisdom (sophia). Greek verbs, ending in oo, as is the case here, do not imply fullness but rather instrumentality. Luke's word puts the emphasis upon the source of goodness rather than upon its effects. In regard to Mary, therefore, he points out that she is the object of God's grace and favor. Because the verb is also a participle, Mary is shown to have been chosen for a long time past; God's full flow of favor has already been concentrating upon her (cf. M. Cambe, RB 62 [1963] 193-207). P.. Joüon translated the passage: "I salute you, object of [divine] favor" (NRT 66 [1939] 797). The Hebr form of the salutation would be .šalôm lak, "Peace to you" (cf. 24:36; Jn 20:19,26). Mary, more than any other human being in the Bible, is the recipient of the most impressive salutations: 1:28,30,35,42-49; 2:19f.,34. The Bible, which makes no clear distinction between body and soul, is not referring simply to Mary's physical charm. In her, more than in anyone else, God's messianic fulfillment is achieved. As such, she has received more-from and through God's anticipation of Jesus' redemptive work than anyone else in the OT or NT. the Lord is with you: Although the phrase can be a simple greeting (Ru 2 :4), still when it comes fwm God, it implies a particular office or special prerogative. The Redeemer-God professes to find an eminent fulfillment of his promises in the recipient of the greeting. Because of v. 31, some commentators (S. Lyonnet, Th. Maertens) see a reference to Immanuel of Is 7:14. Some inferior Gk mss. add: " 'Blessed are you among women.' When she had seen him." Lk, therefore, does not speak of any vision but rather of a communication of a message. The Bible speaks of angelic mediators at other great moments of salvation history (Gn 16:IO; Ex 3:2; 33:2f.). The problem about the reality of the angel has already been discussed (v. 11). In support of an affirmative position is the widespread popular devotion to angels among the Jews at this time, attested in the apocalyptic or haggadic books of the Bible (Dn, Zech, Tb) and extrabiblical literature (such as QL).
29 But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be
29. kept pondering: The Gk vb. dielogizeto implies intense, prolonged reflection, activating a strong spirit of faith.
30 Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
30. do not be afraid: See 1:13. you have found grace[favor] with God: This announcement parallels and partially explains the first greeting of the angel (v. 28). Mary did not need to apologize, as frequently happened before her declaration, "If I have found favor in your eyes..." (Gn 18:3; 19:19; 30:27) (cf. M.-J. Lagrange, Luc, 29-30).
31 Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.
31. The birth formula is repeated again.( cf. v. 13). Because of the messianic intensity of the context, a reference to Is 7:14 is quite likely.
32 He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, 11 and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
11 [32] Son of the Most High: cf Luke 1:76 where John is described as "prophet of the Most High." "Most High" is a title for God commonly used by Luke (Luke 1:35, 76; 6:35; 8:28; Acts 7:48; 16:17).
32. Mary's future son is described with language ordinarily reserved for God's redeeming presence among his people. The boy will grow up to be "great" (Tb 12 :22; Pss 48:2; 86:ro; 96:4); "Son of the Most High" (Gn 14:19ff.; Sir 24:2); "the Holy One" (Is 1:4; 5 :24; 41 : 14); "everlasting King of all the earth" (Pss 24:7,10; 97:1; Gn 21:33; Dn 12:7; cf. H.-J. Kraus, Psalmen [BKAT 15/1; Neukirchen, 1960] 197-205).
Did Mary understand the angel to announce that her son would be divine, the second person of the Holy Trinity? The following should be recalled: First of all, Luke is not giving a diary of the day of the annunciation, but a gospel of salvation. Second, Mary, as a Semite, was not accustomed to think in later philosophical terms of person and nature and would have been impressed with the dynamic thrust of divine 'Power and infinite goodness in the words and works of Jesus. Even after Pentecost the apostles thought in this way (Acts 2:33-36; 3 :26; Rom 1:4). Third, there are indications that before Pentecost Mary did not fully appreciate the divine mission of her son (2:48-50). Mary, therefore, pondered, ever anew, the words and works of Jesus during his lifetime; through the light granted by the Spirit at Pentecost, she plumbed ever deeper into the realization that nowhere as in her son Jesus was God so dynamically and personally at work saving the world. The Infancy Narrative, composed in the post-Pentecostal age within a Johannine circle, rather obviously insinuates the divinity of Jesus. The Lucan text draws upon Zeph 3 :14-17 and Jl 2 :21-27, describing the Messianic age and God's presence among his people (S. Lyonnet, Bib 20 [1939] 131-41). The OT does not state God's presence in a divine-human person, but Luke does by applying the texts very carefully to Jesus.
34 But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" 12
12 [34] Mary's questioning response is a denial of sexual relations and is used by Luke to lead to the angel's declaration about the Spirit's role in the conception of this child (Luke 1:35). According to Luke, the virginal conception of Jesus takes place through the holy Spirit, the power of God, and therefore Jesus has a unique relationship to Yahweh: he is Son of God.
34. how shall this happeI1, since I do not know man [as a wife does her husband]: From the OT, with the possible exception of the controversial passage of Is 7: 14 (see C. Stuhlmueller, Marian Studies 12 [1961] 165-204; see also J. J. DeVault, "The Concept of Virginity in Judaism," Marian Studies 13 [1962] 23-40), we could never conclude to the virginal conception of the Messiah. Mary's previous espousal to Joseph indicates that she looked forward to a normal married life. Yet, her question to the angel raises the objection of virginity. Various answers are given by scholars and commentators. Mary's difficulty and question, according to S. Munoz Iglesias (EstBib 16 [1957] 329-82) add J. Gewiess (BZ 5 [1961] 221-54), are a literary device, modeled on OT parallels (Gn 17:17-19; Ex 3 :11ff.; Jgs 6:13ff.), allowing the editor to expand upon a doctrinal involvement, viz., Mary's virginity. As such, Luke's document witnesses to apostolic preaching, upon which our faith rests. By those who accept Mary's question as 'genuinely historical, various solutions are proposed: (I) Mary, understanding the angel to imply an immediate conception, objected that marriage relations were not allowed till the year of espousal was completed (P. Gichter, Maria im Erdenlebel1 [3rd ed.; Innsbruck, 1955] 96-ro2). (2) A commonly held opinion among Catholic exegetes (still forcefully argued by M.-J. Lagrange, M. Zerwick, and S. Lyonnet)
holds that Mary had made a vow of perpetual virginity even before her espousal to Joseph;' Joseph accepted marriage under this most unusual condition. (3) Still others maintain that Mary decided 'upon perpetual virginity at the time of the annunciation, either because of the demands of Is 7:I4 (J.-P. Audet, RB 63 [I956] 346-74) or because of the impelling necessity of the mystery of the divine maternity (J. Auer, Geist und Leben 23 [I950] 4II-25; 27 [I954] 33 If.).
(Ceroke, c., CBQ I9 [I957] 329-42. Dillon, R., DunR I [I96I] I-37. Flanagan, N., Marian Studies 7 [1956] I03-21. Laurentin, R., Structure, 176-78. Lyonnet, S., Le reeit de l'annoneiation [Rome, 1954]. Maly, E. H., Marian Studies I3 [1962] 41-61. Zerwick, M., VD 37 [1959] 212-24, 276-88.)
35 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.
36 And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived 13 a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
13 [36-37] The sign given to Mary in confirmation of the angel's announcement to her is the pregnancy of her aged relative Elizabeth. If a woman past the childbearing age could become pregnant, why, the angel implies, should there be doubt about Mary's pregnancy, for nothing will be impossible for God.
35. will overshadow you: The Spirit's over shadowing of Mary reminds one of the Jerusalem Temple: Ex 40:35; I Kgs 8:10; Hag 2:6-9. Not only the text of Hag, but the descent of God's Holy Spirit (used without the article) and the proclamation of the Son of God give an apocalyptic tone to the verse. Both the Temple theme and the eschatological spirit demand virginity or continence, required by the Bible of the worshiper and the warrior (Lv 15:16-18; 1 Sm 21:4f.; 2 Sm 11:11). Mary's virginity thus points to the apocalyptic struggle of the cross and the liturgical setting of the early Church.
37 for nothing will be impossible for God."
37. nothing will be impossible: Mary's virginity reveals a new depth of meaning, that of complete trust and obedience before God, as Hos depicts Israel in her role of virginal spouse of God (Hos 2:21f.).
38 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.
38. let it be done: Genoito is the optative of desire, a more subtle, deferential form than genetheto in the "Our Father" (Mt 6:10).
Readings for the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord? click here for the lectionary readings
First Published: Saturday, March 25, 2006
You're Pregnant?
Reflection:
As we continue our journey in the desert of lent we get today a light on the horizon as we celebrate the Annunciation of Lord. As we struggle inwardly to discover ways of making ourselves into what God wants us to be, we are given the example of Mary, Mother of God (Theo Tokas) and her example of selfless obedience to God.
While cultural situations have changed and the present day stigma of having a child out of wedlock is not what it once was, we can still appreciate what Mary was accepting when she said to Gabriel "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word."
It stimulates one of those questions that is right up there with the one we ask on Good Friday when we invariably ask ourselves "Would I have been shouting; 'Crucify him!'" Today we ask ourselves; "If it had been me, would I have said yes?" We ask ourselves this question knowing that in Mary's time, adulterous women were stoned to death.
Oh, and we know from the story, Mary knew those consequences. We can almost hear her inner voice when she tells Gabriel; "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" She knew all right.
Can you imagine a young girl today, even a very spiritual one, having a visit from an apparition that tells her –
"You have been selected to become pregnant at the hand of God." What do you think would happen? Well fist she'd probably go and tell her parents –
"Guess what mom and dad, I've been chosen by God to get pregnant." And after dad picked mom up off the floor and told her she was stupid for having had premarital sex, they would probably start taking about adoption or worse.
So perhaps the girl goes and tells her boy friend, same thing – "Guess what Joe, God has picked me to get pregnant." Joe's response? - "Hey it's not mine." And that's probably the last we see of Joe.
Things have not changed that much. This was an amazing event. When you think about the likely answer to the question posed above, the scenario could easily have been – Joseph rejects Mary's explanation, goes and tells the local elders, and Mary is stoned to death the next day.
This extraordinary event gives us not only an example of faith in God but an example of faith and love for one another. Mary could not have made the choice she did if she did not believe that her parents would believer her incredible story and that Joseph would be understanding of her unparalleled role in God's saving work.
Today we celebrate indeed. God, once more has given us hope in the desert. The Mother of God has once more brought us an example of faith we can aspire to. Pax
I welcome your comments. If you would like to make one and are not registered on Myspace, you can email me at miles_jj@excite.com and, if you wish, I will post your response as a comment. Thanks.
Scripture[1] from Is 7:10-14; 8:10
Jerome Biblical Commentary[2]
10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz:
11 5 Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God; let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky!
12 6 But Ahaz answered, "I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!"
13 Then he said: Listen, O house of David! Is it not enough for you to weary men, must you also weary my God?
5 [11] Deep . . . sky: an extraordinary or miraculous sign that would prove God's firm will to save the royal house of David from its oppressors.
6 [12] Tempt the LORD: Ahaz expresses in this hypocritical way his preference for depending upon the might of Assyria rather than upon God.
(ll) The Book of Emmanuel (7:1-12:6).
(A) National Crisis Under Ahaz (7:1--9:6). These events took place in 735-733. The situation is concisely described in 2 Kgs 16:5-9, the events of the Syro-Ephraimitic War.
(a) Two SIGNS FOR THE KING
12. Ahaz rejects the offer of a "sign" ('ôt), which, in the OT and NT, is usually some event assuring man of a divine intervention. It is a form of revelation; in this case, the sign is meant to be a confirmation of Yahweh's first message to Ahaz (S. Porubcan, CBQ 22 [1960] 145). Ahaz's refusal was undoubtedly motivated by his unwillingness to follow Isaiah's advice.
14 7 Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.
7 [14] The sign proposed by Isaiah was concerned with the preservation of Judah in the midst of distress (cf Isaiah 7:15, 17), but more especially with the fulfillment of God's earlier promise to David (2 Sam 7:12-16) in the coming of Immanuel (meaning, "With us is God") as the ideal king (cf Isaiah 9:5-6; 11:1-5). The Church has always followed St. Matthew in seeing the transcendent fulfillment of this verse in Christ and his Virgin Mother. The prophet need not have known the full force latent in his own words; and some Catholic writers have sought a preliminary and partial fulfillment in the conception and birth of the future King Hezekiah, whose mother, at the time Isaiah spoke, would have been a young, unmarried woman (Hebrew, almah). The Holy Spirit was preparing, however, for another Nativity which alone could fulfill the divinely given terms of Immanuel's mission, and in which the perpetual virginity of the Mother of God was to fulfill also the words of this prophecy in the integral sense intended by the divine Wisdom
Is. 8
10 5 Form a plan, and it shall be thwarted; make a resolve, and it shall not be carried out, for "With us is God!"
5 [10] The plan of Israel's enemies will be thwarted because, as the name "Immanuel" signifies, With us is God.
14. An immense literature has grown up around this oracle and the debate continues. Several points may be noted. Isaiah does not use the technical word for "virgin" (betûlâ) but a word ('almâ) that signifies a young woman of marriageable age, whether a virgin or not. The solemn oracle is spoken before the royal court, fearful lest the Davidic dynasty be overthrown. Such a catastrophe would mean the cancellation of the great dynastic promise made to David's house (2 Sm 7:12-16). It was on the royal successor to David that Judah pinned her hopes for the welfare of God's people. The child about to be born, therefore, may be the young Hezekiah in whose birth Judah would see the continuing presence of God among his people and another renewal of the promise made to David. Nevertheless, the solemnity of the oracle and the name "Emmanuel" lend credence to the opinion that Isaiah's perspective does not stop at the birth of Hezekiah; it moves ahead to that ideal king of David's line through whose coming God could finally be said to be definitively with his people. This does not mean, of course, that Isaiah foresaw the fulfillment of this prophecy in Christ, but he expressed the hope that Christ perfectly realized. Matthew and the Church have seen in the birth of Christ from the Virgin Mother the perfect fulfillment of this prophecy.
(Auvray and Steinmann, Isai'e, 48. Coppens,]., "L'interpretation d'ls. 7,14 it la lumiere des etudes les plus recentes," Lex Tua Veritas [Fest. H. Junker; Trier, 1961] 31-45, esp. bibliog. Vawter, The Conscience of Israel, 182-84.)
[1] All biblical references -New American Bible United States Conference of Catholic Bishops 3211 4th Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20017-1194 (202) 541-3000 December 09, 2002 Copyright © by United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
[2] All references to Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc.© 1968
Scripture from Ps 40:7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 11
Jerome Biblical Commentary
7 3 sacrifice and offering you do not want; but ears open to obedience you gave me. Holocausts and sin-offerings you do not require;
8 so I said, "Here I am; your commands for me are written in the scroll.
9 To do your will is my delight; my God, your law is in my heart!"
10 I announced your deed to a great assembly; I did not restrain my lips; you, LORD, are my witness.
11 Your deed I did not hide within my heart; your loyal deliverance I have proclaimed. I made no secret of your enduring kindness to a great assembly.
3 [7-9] Obedience is better than sacrifice (cf 1 Sam 15:22; Isaiah 1:10-20; Hosea 6:6; Amos 5:22-25; Micah 6:6-8; Acts 7:42-43 [quoting Amos 5:25-26]). Hebrews 10:5-9 quotes the somewhat different Greek version and interprets it as Christ's self-oblation.
Ps 40. A thanksgiving Ps and an individual lament. More probably it is composed of two separate Pss: 2-11 (or 2-12, with 13 being a transition to 14-18), and 12-18 (or perhaps 14-18, which is also to be found in Ps 70:2-6). For some scholars (e.g., Weiser) 40A (2-11) is a thanksgiving for past deliverance, which is supposed to serve as an introduction to the lament of 40B (12-18);
hence, the whole prayer would be a unit. Structure of 40A: 2-4, the story of how Yahweh delivered the psalmist from the pit (power of Sheol); 5-6, a beatitude formula with recommendation to trust, and a testimony to God's deeds before those who are present in the Temple; 7-11, the psalmist's "sacrifice" of thanksgiving and proclamation of the deliverance wrought by the Lord. 7-11. Although a Ps such as this accompanies a sacrifice, the psalmist says that God prefers obedience to any type (four kinds are mentioned) of sacrifice. This emphasis should be interpreted like similar prophetic statements on sacrifice (Am 5:21ff.; Is 1:10ff.; etc.); it singles out dedication and commitment as the only adequate responses to God without rejecting the principle of sacrifice (cf. De Vaux, AI 454-56). written scroll: Tile Law or the expression of God's will, which is also within his "heart." Hence, he proclaims in a testimony Yahweh's "justice"-his fidelity in delivering his Servant-on the occasion of a feast before a "vast assembly." In Heb 10:5-9, the LXX of 6-8 is applied to the Messiah, as though the lines were addressed by the Son to the Father. As indicated above, 12-13 can be taken with 14-18; these will be discussed in Ps 70, a doublet form, which circulated independently.
Scripture from Heb 10:4-10
Jerome Biblical Commentary
4 for it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats take away sins.
The one sacrifice of Jesus is the source of remission of past sins (9:15), and because of it he is forever the source of salvation (5 :9); because of its perfection, no further sacrifice is necessary or possible. 3-4. for it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats can take away sins: The OT sacrifices brought past sins into remembrance but could not efface them. This is in direct opposition to the statement of late-Jewish belief found in Jub 5 :17-18. It does not seem, however, that the "remembrance" (Gk anamnesis) of sin means that it was believed that "the cultic rites actually bring past sins into the present" (so H. Montefiore, A Commentary, 165; similarly, J. Behm, "Anamnesis," ThDNT 1, 348f.). (For the Semitic concept of remembrance, which is often invoked in this connection, cf. W. Schottroff, "Gedenken" im alten Orient und im Alten Testament [Neukirchen, 1964] II7-26; 339-41.) It is not clear whether God or the offerer is the one who "remembers" the sins. The former interpretation is suggested by 8 :12, which points to the time of the new covenant when God will no longer remember the sins of his people, and by the statement of Philo (De plant. 108) that the sacrifices of the wicked "put Him in remembrance" of their sins. But in that case, the author would mean that all the sacrifices, whether offered by the repentant or the unrepentant, served only to remind God of sin, and actually called forth punishment of the offerer, and v. 4, as well as other texts of Heb, speaks only of the inefficaciousness of these sacrifices rather than of their positive harmfulness for the offerer.
5 For this reason, when he came into the world, he said: 3 "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me;
6 holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight in.
7 Then I said, 'As is written of me in the scroll, Behold, I come to do your will, O God.'"
3 [5-7] A passage from Psalm 40:7-9 is placed in the mouth of the Son at his incarnation. As usual, the author follows the Septuagint text. There is a notable difference in Hebrews 10:5 (Psalm 40:7), where the Masoretic text reads "ears you have dug for me" ("ears open to obedience you gave me," NAB), but most Septuagint manuscripts have "a body you prepared for me," a reading obviously more suited to the interpretation of Hebrews.
5-7. The words of Ps 40 :7-9a are here attributed to the Son at his incarnation. The quotation follows the LXX in substance. In v. 7b of the Ps, the MT reads "ears you have dug for me" (to hear and obey God's will). The majority of LXX mss. have the reading given in Heb: "you have prepared a body for me." The meaning of the Ps is that God prefers obedience to sacrifice; it is not a repudiation of the ritual but a statement of its relative inferiority. Since Jesus' obedience to God's will was expressed by his willing offering of his body (i.e., himself) in death, the LXX reading of v. 7b is peculiarly applicable to him, so much so that it has been thought that the reading was introduced into the LXX under the influence of Heb (cf. J. Hering, L'Epitre aux Hebreux, 95, n. 1).
8 First he says, "Sacrifices and offerings, holocausts and sin offerings, 4 you neither desired nor delighted in." These are offered according to the law.
4 [8] Sacrifices and offerings, holocausts and sin offerings: these four terms taken from the preceding passage of Psalm 40 (with the first two changed to plural forms) are probably intended as equivalents to the four principal types of Old Testament sacrifices: peace offerings (Lev 3, here called sacrifices); cereal offerings (Lev 2, here called offerings); holocausts (Lev 1); and sin offerings (Lev 4-5). This last category includes the guilt offerings of Lev 5:14-19.
8. sacrifices and offerings, holocausts and sin offerings you did not desire nor delight in-although the Law prescribes them: These terms for sacrifice are probably meant to cover the four main types, i.e., peace offerings ("sacrifices"), cereal offerings ("offerings"), holocausts, and sin offerings. The last includes the guilt offerings (cf. Lv 5:6,7, where the names of the two are interchanged, although the CCD does not make that clear). The phrase "although the Law prescribes them" prepares for the statement of v. 9 that the Law has been annulled in this respect.
9 Then he says, "Behold, I come to do your will." He takes away the first to establish the second
9. then he says, Behold, I have come to do your will. He annuls the former in order to establish the latter: God's preferring obedience to sacrifice is interpreted as a repudiation of the OT sacrifices, and their replacement by the voluntary self-offering of Jesus.
10 By this "will," we have been consecrated through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
10. it is by this will that we have been consecrated: "This will" is the will of God, carried out by Christ, that he offer in death the body that God "prepared" for him. The offering of Jesus' body means the same as the shedding of his blood; each expresses the total self-offering of Christ.
Due to the Length of the Commentary on this Gospel, the verses will be entered in Bold followed by the commentary as opposed to the table format above.
Lk 1:26-38
26 10 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
10 [26-38] The announcement to Mary of the birth of Jesus is parallel to the announcement to Zechariah of the birth of John. In both the angel Gabriel appears to the parent who is troubled by the vision (Luke 1:11-12, 26-29) and then told by the angel not to fear (Luke 1:13, 30). After the announcement is made (Luke 1:14-17, 31-33) the parent objects (Luke 1:18, 34) and a sign is given to confirm the announcement (Luke 1:20, 36). The particular focus of the announcement of the birth of Jesus is on his identity as Son of David (Luke 1:32-33) and Son of God (Luke 1:32, 35).
(b) THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE BIRTH OF JESUS
(1 :26-38). The strict parallel in details between this annunciation scene and that of the Baptist, along with the overwhelming textual evidence, disqualifies any attempt to delete verses like 34 and 35, where Mary's virginal conception of Jesus is stated explicitly. To claim that the idea of virginal conception did not come from the Jewish-Christian background of these chapters but rather from pagan, Greco-Roman mythology (cf. J. M. Creed, Luke, 13-16) clashes with the reasons already given for the very early Jewish origin of the Lucan Infancy Narrative.
26. sixth month: That is, of Elizabeth's pregnancy. Nazareth: An insignificant town, never mentioned in the OT, in the Talmud, or by Josephus, despised by the Palestinians of Jesus' own time (Jn 1:46), and inhabited by jealous, material-minded people (Lk 4:23-30).
27 to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary.
27. virgin: Lk twice stresses Mary's virginity. In Hebrew her name, Miryam, means "exalted one" (see E. Vogt, VD 26 [1948] 163-68). Joseph, Mary's betrothed, seems to have been of Judean stock, possibly an inhabitant of Bethlehem. Through Joseph, therefore, as Jesus' legal father, and not through Mary, did Jesus inherit a claim to the Davidic throne.
28 And coming to her, he said, "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you."
28. hail, full of grace: The Greek is melodious, chaire kecharitomene. The word "grace" (charis) is associated in Lk with joy (chara) and wisdom (sophia). Greek verbs, ending in oo, as is the case here, do not imply fullness but rather instrumentality. Luke's word puts the emphasis upon the source of goodness rather than upon its effects. In regard to Mary, therefore, he points out that she is the object of God's grace and favor. Because the verb is also a participle, Mary is shown to have been chosen for a long time past; God's full flow of favor has already been concentrating upon her (cf. M. Cambe, RB 62 [1963] 193-207). P.. Joüon translated the passage: "I salute you, object of [divine] favor" (NRT 66 [1939] 797). The Hebr form of the salutation would be .šalôm lak, "Peace to you" (cf. 24:36; Jn 20:19,26). Mary, more than any other human being in the Bible, is the recipient of the most impressive salutations: 1:28,30,35,42-49; 2:19f.,34. The Bible, which makes no clear distinction between body and soul, is not referring simply to Mary's physical charm. In her, more than in anyone else, God's messianic fulfillment is achieved. As such, she has received more-from and through God's anticipation of Jesus' redemptive work than anyone else in the OT or NT. the Lord is with you: Although the phrase can be a simple greeting (Ru 2 :4), still when it comes fwm God, it implies a particular office or special prerogative. The Redeemer-God professes to find an eminent fulfillment of his promises in the recipient of the greeting. Because of v. 31, some commentators (S. Lyonnet, Th. Maertens) see a reference to Immanuel of Is 7:14. Some inferior Gk mss. add: " 'Blessed are you among women.' When she had seen him." Lk, therefore, does not speak of any vision but rather of a communication of a message. The Bible speaks of angelic mediators at other great moments of salvation history (Gn 16:IO; Ex 3:2; 33:2f.). The problem about the reality of the angel has already been discussed (v. 11). In support of an affirmative position is the widespread popular devotion to angels among the Jews at this time, attested in the apocalyptic or haggadic books of the Bible (Dn, Zech, Tb) and extrabiblical literature (such as QL).
29 But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be
29. kept pondering: The Gk vb. dielogizeto implies intense, prolonged reflection, activating a strong spirit of faith.
30 Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
30. do not be afraid: See 1:13. you have found grace[favor] with God: This announcement parallels and partially explains the first greeting of the angel (v. 28). Mary did not need to apologize, as frequently happened before her declaration, "If I have found favor in your eyes..." (Gn 18:3; 19:19; 30:27) (cf. M.-J. Lagrange, Luc, 29-30).
31 Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.
31. The birth formula is repeated again.( cf. v. 13). Because of the messianic intensity of the context, a reference to Is 7:14 is quite likely.
32 He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, 11 and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
11 [32] Son of the Most High: cf Luke 1:76 where John is described as "prophet of the Most High." "Most High" is a title for God commonly used by Luke (Luke 1:35, 76; 6:35; 8:28; Acts 7:48; 16:17).
32. Mary's future son is described with language ordinarily reserved for God's redeeming presence among his people. The boy will grow up to be "great" (Tb 12 :22; Pss 48:2; 86:ro; 96:4); "Son of the Most High" (Gn 14:19ff.; Sir 24:2); "the Holy One" (Is 1:4; 5 :24; 41 : 14); "everlasting King of all the earth" (Pss 24:7,10; 97:1; Gn 21:33; Dn 12:7; cf. H.-J. Kraus, Psalmen [BKAT 15/1; Neukirchen, 1960] 197-205).
Did Mary understand the angel to announce that her son would be divine, the second person of the Holy Trinity? The following should be recalled: First of all, Luke is not giving a diary of the day of the annunciation, but a gospel of salvation. Second, Mary, as a Semite, was not accustomed to think in later philosophical terms of person and nature and would have been impressed with the dynamic thrust of divine 'Power and infinite goodness in the words and works of Jesus. Even after Pentecost the apostles thought in this way (Acts 2:33-36; 3 :26; Rom 1:4). Third, there are indications that before Pentecost Mary did not fully appreciate the divine mission of her son (2:48-50). Mary, therefore, pondered, ever anew, the words and works of Jesus during his lifetime; through the light granted by the Spirit at Pentecost, she plumbed ever deeper into the realization that nowhere as in her son Jesus was God so dynamically and personally at work saving the world. The Infancy Narrative, composed in the post-Pentecostal age within a Johannine circle, rather obviously insinuates the divinity of Jesus. The Lucan text draws upon Zeph 3 :14-17 and Jl 2 :21-27, describing the Messianic age and God's presence among his people (S. Lyonnet, Bib 20 [1939] 131-41). The OT does not state God's presence in a divine-human person, but Luke does by applying the texts very carefully to Jesus.
34 But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" 12
12 [34] Mary's questioning response is a denial of sexual relations and is used by Luke to lead to the angel's declaration about the Spirit's role in the conception of this child (Luke 1:35). According to Luke, the virginal conception of Jesus takes place through the holy Spirit, the power of God, and therefore Jesus has a unique relationship to Yahweh: he is Son of God.
34. how shall this happeI1, since I do not know man [as a wife does her husband]: From the OT, with the possible exception of the controversial passage of Is 7: 14 (see C. Stuhlmueller, Marian Studies 12 [1961] 165-204; see also J. J. DeVault, "The Concept of Virginity in Judaism," Marian Studies 13 [1962] 23-40), we could never conclude to the virginal conception of the Messiah. Mary's previous espousal to Joseph indicates that she looked forward to a normal married life. Yet, her question to the angel raises the objection of virginity. Various answers are given by scholars and commentators. Mary's difficulty and question, according to S. Munoz Iglesias (EstBib 16 [1957] 329-82) add J. Gewiess (BZ 5 [1961] 221-54), are a literary device, modeled on OT parallels (Gn 17:17-19; Ex 3 :11ff.; Jgs 6:13ff.), allowing the editor to expand upon a doctrinal involvement, viz., Mary's virginity. As such, Luke's document witnesses to apostolic preaching, upon which our faith rests. By those who accept Mary's question as 'genuinely historical, various solutions are proposed: (I) Mary, understanding the angel to imply an immediate conception, objected that marriage relations were not allowed till the year of espousal was completed (P. Gichter, Maria im Erdenlebel1 [3rd ed.; Innsbruck, 1955] 96-ro2). (2) A commonly held opinion among Catholic exegetes (still forcefully argued by M.-J. Lagrange, M. Zerwick, and S. Lyonnet)
holds that Mary had made a vow of perpetual virginity even before her espousal to Joseph;' Joseph accepted marriage under this most unusual condition. (3) Still others maintain that Mary decided 'upon perpetual virginity at the time of the annunciation, either because of the demands of Is 7:I4 (J.-P. Audet, RB 63 [I956] 346-74) or because of the impelling necessity of the mystery of the divine maternity (J. Auer, Geist und Leben 23 [I950] 4II-25; 27 [I954] 33 If.).
(Ceroke, c., CBQ I9 [I957] 329-42. Dillon, R., DunR I [I96I] I-37. Flanagan, N., Marian Studies 7 [1956] I03-21. Laurentin, R., Structure, 176-78. Lyonnet, S., Le reeit de l'annoneiation [Rome, 1954]. Maly, E. H., Marian Studies I3 [1962] 41-61. Zerwick, M., VD 37 [1959] 212-24, 276-88.)
35 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.
36 And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived 13 a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
13 [36-37] The sign given to Mary in confirmation of the angel's announcement to her is the pregnancy of her aged relative Elizabeth. If a woman past the childbearing age could become pregnant, why, the angel implies, should there be doubt about Mary's pregnancy, for nothing will be impossible for God.
35. will overshadow you: The Spirit's over shadowing of Mary reminds one of the Jerusalem Temple: Ex 40:35; I Kgs 8:10; Hag 2:6-9. Not only the text of Hag, but the descent of God's Holy Spirit (used without the article) and the proclamation of the Son of God give an apocalyptic tone to the verse. Both the Temple theme and the eschatological spirit demand virginity or continence, required by the Bible of the worshiper and the warrior (Lv 15:16-18; 1 Sm 21:4f.; 2 Sm 11:11). Mary's virginity thus points to the apocalyptic struggle of the cross and the liturgical setting of the early Church.
37 for nothing will be impossible for God."
37. nothing will be impossible: Mary's virginity reveals a new depth of meaning, that of complete trust and obedience before God, as Hos depicts Israel in her role of virginal spouse of God (Hos 2:21f.).
38 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.
38. let it be done: Genoito is the optative of desire, a more subtle, deferential form than genetheto in the "Our Father" (Mt 6:10).
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