The Amazing Announcement: Young Mary

Image from "The Nativity Story"

     Mary was so young, so inexperienced.  Who could have guessed that God the Almighty would send His messenger, the angel Gabriel, down to Nazareth and announce to Mary that she would bear God's Son?

     What good has ever come from that town?  Every female child born since Sarah, and indeed, since Eve, was hoped to be the one to carry the seed of the One who would crush the head of Satan.  Why would the young girls of Nazareth hope for less?  The very meaning of it's name meant "branch" or "preservation".  Of what?  The seed of the Savior, of course!

     And now, Mary struggled to tell her mother of last night's encounter.  Would she believe her daughter?  Or, would she assume, as most would, that she had broken her betrothal vow, to follow her passions?  And what about Joseph?  Would he put her away, or stone her, as was allowed by law?  Mary hoped that he would remember that the Messiah was to be born someday to a woman of Jewish blood...why couldn't it be Mary?  Would he trust in her proven good character?

     If Joseph questioned Mary's story, any hesitancy to take her as his bride was put to rest.  The angel Gabriel's appearance to him in a dream confirmed Mary's report.  She was truly carrying the Son of God!

     -from "Christmas Musings" by Jarm Del Boccio ©2012