Greetings, Favoured One Mary is favoured. She is favoured simply because an angel meets her. It’s not every day that people encounter angels. Here in Luke’s gospel, Mary is meeting with Gabriel, the angel of God, the one who brings to Mary marvellous good news of God’s grace. Mary is favoured because God has chosen her to bear a son; and he will be the fulfilment of the hopes, dreams and prophecies of his people. Mary is favoured. Mary is favoured because her son’s birth is more than a hero’s beginning. This birth is the triumphal entry into existence of Emmanuel, God with us. This birth gives life in our ordinary time to a love that is eternal. This birth promises not just another day, but a brand new day, a day that will be like no other day - announced by a child who is like no other child. It is Mary who carries this child, bears this child and nurtures this child. Mary is favoured indeed. She, herself, acknowledges this, and she sings her song, exclaiming, "Henceforth all generations will call me blessed." That isn’t boasting. That’s rejoicing. Mary is rejoicing in the wonderful thing that Almighty God accomplishes through her. We are favoured. At Christmas time God comes to us as a creature, a human baby who is born among us, who grows up to adulthood in our midst, whose life story intersects with our stories, and whose Spirit is with us still. So in Mary, we are all favoured. Mary represents humanity, even Creation, which is so wonderfully blessed at this particular point in history. In this moment, through this person, we receive God’s Word. In this moment God speaks to us, not in a strange language from far away, but as the Truth that we can see and understand because this Truth is born among us. In Jesus’ birth a whole new creation is born. In Jesus, born of Mary, we are all highly favoured. We are favoured, not in a mythical or mystical sense, but concretely, in the midst of history. Favoured even in sorrow. The sword which pierced her son’s side pierced also the soul of Mary. And even then she was favored, for she had been counseled long before the event of his death that this Son was destined to cause the fall and rising of many in Israel. Her confidence even then was that God would protect and save, as He had earlier when she had said “Be it done to according to your word.” What does it mean for a person to be favoured by God? The gift of life itself is a sign of God's favour. In every moment of our experience we are reminded of God's favour. When we say yes to life, embrace life, and live life with love, there is, in the depth of each and every moment, an angel. We can hear, in each moment, this messenger from God whispering these wonderful words: "Greetings, favoured one!" ------------------------------------------------------------ The above thoughts are largely from David Crombie of Alberta, Canada which he submitted to an Internet Study Group. _________________________________________________________________ MSN 8 limited-time offer: Join now and get 3 months FREE*. http://join.msn.com/?page=dept/dialup&xAPID=42&PS=47575&PI=7324&DI=7474&SU= http://www.hotmail.msn.com/cgi-bin/getmsg&HL=1216hotmailtaglines_newmsn8ishere_3mf