“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.” (LK 1:26-28)
Prayer is such an important part of who we are. It is how we communicate with God as Father, Brother and Friend. Prayer enables us to deepen our intimate and felt knowledge of the One who has created us and molded us in his image and likeness. After we had tarnished our image through sin and self-absorption, prayer permitted us to restore the personal relationship with God through the One who suffered and died for us in order to recreate us into the beloved children of God we were meant to be. Prayer encourages and inspires us to go deeper into the scenes of the Bible and place ourselves into the scripture story, our story in order to more clearly hear the voice of God speaking to our hearts and inviting us to change and grow. One of my favorite scenes to visit is the Annunciation. Imagine placing yourself into the scene. Silence your heart. Quiet your mind. Take a deep breath and enter the scene. As you sit next to our Mother Mary, what do you want or need to say to her? What do you wish to tell her, share with her, ask her to pray for? What is she saying to you, teaching you, asking of you? What does the temperature outside feel like? Is it hot or cool, windy or breezeless, sunny or raining? Is the air fragrant with flowers, perfumes, fresh baked bread? Are there any sounds of nature? Can you hear any birds in the background? What does Gabriel’s wings sound like, what does he look like, did he startle you? Did you pray with him when he said “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” Can you imagine being in Galilee where God decided to leave his throne in heaven and come down to ask Mary to be his his holy vessel and the Mother of his Beloved Son so that he can enter into our broken humanity, die to repair our sins and bring all God’s children safely back home to heaven? What is God saying to you right now? What do you want to say to God. Tell him. He is listening.