Word of the day

A reading from the Book of Isaiah
Is 7:10-14

The LORD spoke to Ahaz:
Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God;
let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky!
But Ahaz answered,
"I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!"
Then Isaiah said:
Listen, O house of David!
Is it not enough for you to weary men,
must you also weary my God?
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel.

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."

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."

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.

In a perpetually sunny land like Mary’s, a passing cloud, a tree that withstands drought and offers shelter, or a hospitable tent, bring relief and protection. Shade is a gift that refreshes, and this is precisely the way the Angel describes how the Holy Spirit descends upon Mary — God’s way of doing: God always acts as a gentle love that embraces, that makes things fruitful, that protects, without doing violence, without infringing on freedom. This is God’s way of acting.

The idea of a protecting shade is a recurring image in the Bible. Let us think of the shade that accompanies God’s people in the desert (cf. Ex 13:21-22), In a word, “shadow” describes God’s kindness. It is as if he were saying, to Mary but also to all of us today: “I am here for you and I offer myself as your refuge and your shelter: come under my shadow, stay with me”. Brothers and sisters, this is how God’s fruitful love operates. And it is also something that, in a certain way, we can experience among ourselves; for example, when among friends, couples, spouses, parents and children, we are gentle, respectful, and caring towards others with kindness. Let us reflect on God’s kindness.

This is how God loves, and he calls us to do the same: welcoming, protecting, and respecting others. Thinking of everyone, thinking of those who are marginalised, those who are far from the joy of Christmas, these days. Let us think about everyone with God’s kindness. Remember this word: the kindness of God. (Angelus, 24 December 2023)