Annunciation of the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary

Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom

Ambon Prayer 59

Dismissal: "May Christ our true God have mercy on us and save us through the prayers of his most pure Mother whose annunciation we gloriously celebrate today . . ." (The usual Saturday commemorations are not made)

Title

God Calls for Trust not Understanding

Outline

We differ from God

God lives in the timeless state of being itself

God has all virtue and all good, so suffering is foreign to him

God lives in love, for the Father loves the Son and the Spirit is the love between them - he does not need love

God cannot die, for God does not have a body and death is the separation of body and soul and the dissolution of the latter

That is the reason for the incarnation, starting with the annunciation, without having a human nature God, the Logos, the Son, could not experience our suffering, empathize with us or take our suffering upon himself.

But God does not force himself upon us, but calls on us to trust and accept him

This is particularly the case with Mary, the Theotokos

She is going about her life in a normal way for a pious Jewish peasant woman. She is poor and is now engaged to a poor laborer. We know nothing about her home life nor even if her parents were alive, but likely she was inside tending to household duties.

Then Gabriel shows up in some form and says, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.” Mary is troubled, perhaps because angles usually shock us, perhaps because a man-like being is in the house with her, perhaps because she cannot think how she is specially favored or in what way the Lord is with her.

Then Gabriel says, “Do not be afraid” and goes on to describe a coming pregnancy and birth that will result in a son whom “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.” Now Joseph was a Davidite and Mary may have known that, but he was very insignificant, to say the least. How would any child of theirs be called “The Son of the Most High?” Besides, they were not living together yet and Gabriel said nothing about Joseph.

Gabriel responds to her questions with, “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.” Now we still do not know how this worked and certainly Mary could not guess. That Elizabeth was pregnant was a sign and a wonder, but how she became pregnant was quite normal.

Yet, however mind-blowing it was, Mary simply responds, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Now that is trust.

And there are lessons here for us

There are plenty of things we do not understand about God’s actions, his being, or how he actually interacts with the world.

They are all mysteries as the incarnation is a mystery. Neither Mary nor we know exactly how it worked.

We may not even understand why God called us to our vocation or to some assignment or action and that is not as incomprehensible as Mary’s.

But Mary stands or sits there, not fully comprehending (although she did ruminate on these words for years), but simply saying, “Yes, let it be. I am here in God’s service.”

May that be our response to God’s call.

Readings

Epistle

Hebrews 2:11–18

11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified have all one origin. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 saying,

“I will proclaim your name to my brethren,

in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.”

13 And again,

“I will put my trust in him.”

And again,

“Here am I, and the children God has given me.”

14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same nature, that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage. 16 For surely it is not with angels that he is concerned but with the descendants of Abraham. 17 Therefore he had to be made like his brethren in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make expiation for the sins of the people. 18 For because he himself has suffered and been tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.

Gospel

Luke 1:24–38

24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she hid herself, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has done to me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.”

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.

32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High;

and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,

33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever;

and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

34 And Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no husband?” 35 And the angel said to her,

“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.

Notes

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 3-25-2023: Fourth Saturday of Great Lent

THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE THEOTOKOS

Bright Vestments

On the same date: Fourth Saturday of Great Lent

Matins Gospel Luke 1:39–49, 56

Epistle Hebrews 2:11–18

Gospel Luke 1:24–38

BLUE