“Here I am Lord”

Down through the centuries many artists have been attracted by the story of the Annunciation. As I have never had the experience of a visitation from an angel, I could never identify with these paintings. Then I saw the painting of the Annunciation by Henry Ossawa Tanner. In this painting Mary is seated on one side and on the other side there is no figure, but just a bright ray of light. To me it depicts the Annunciation as a WOW moment, a moment of enlightenment. That gave me a new way of reading the gospel story, one to which I think we can all relate.

Annunciation by Henry Ossawa Tanner

“Greetings, favoured one.  The Lord is with you”.  We are all favoured ones and God is with us.   We may not always feel like this but perhaps you have had your WOW moments, a moment of grace when you had a deep and vivid conviction of the love of God for you.  Spend a few moments now recalling such treasured experiences and use the memories to encourage your faith at this moment. “I will call to mind the deeds of the LORD; I will remember your wonders of old.” (Ps 77)

Believing God is with us can help us when we are fearful of what lies ahead of us. Mary was perplexed by the words of the angel about her future. Perhaps you too have sometimes been perplexed by life’s path and wondered what it all meant. In our psalm today we acknowledge: “You do not ask for sacrifice and offerings, but an open ear.” God speaks to us in many ways, not usually through the visitation of an angel, but more usually through the circumstances of our lives, our responsibilities and the needs of those around us.  Do we have an ear open to what is being said to us and the invitation this involves?

Mary was taken by surprise by the invitation, but she did not tell the angel she was not ready, nor ask him to return later.  She was prepared to go with the invitation even though she was perplexed about what was being asked of her. “Here I am Lord”.  What invitations have come to you at what seemed to be the “wrong time” and how have you responded?

Mary’s response serves as a model for us - as one saying ‘yes’ to what life offers. Perhaps at this moment in your life you are being invited to say “Here I am, Lord”?

A reflection written by John Byrne O.S.A., from our Irish Province

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