Franciscan Feast of Our Lady of the Angels of Portiuncula

 

Readings for the Feast of the Portiuncula

In the sixth month, 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, favored one! The Lord is with you.”

Any Catholic can imagine Gabriel's delight in visiting the chosen Queen of Angels. He was honored; it was his privilege and pleasure to announce extraordinary news to this most extraordinary woman, even when she lived in the most ordinary circumstances of poverty and obscurity. Only the Lord God of Heaven and Earth had imagined anything unusual for this unknown lass in Nazareth of Galilee, and he had kept his counsel to himself since the dawn of time.

But now Gabriel was elected to call upon her, and to surprise her silent solitude with a Word from the Most High. Of course the Servant of God could not permit his pleasure to come before his mission. And so, as soon as he had spoken a word of reassurance -- "Do not be afraid" -- and as soon as he saw that she was not afraid but had calmed her fears and was now curious to know why he was there, he delivered his message. 

Already Mary of Galilee was demonstrating that presence of mind which is appropriate to a queen. This young woman would not be flustered by unexpected events but would collect herself immediately and hear whatever message might come from the Lord of Heaven and Earth.  

"You have found favor with God." Like the angel, the queen could not let her surprise and humility come before a word from God. She did not withdraw from an unexpected guest or his greeting; she would not insist upon her unworthiness, ignorance, or lack of experience. Such thoughts never crossed her mind. If an angel of God had something to say to her, she was obviously worthy to hear it. She could only be happy that God is happy with her, but her curiosity remained. What would he say to her? 

"Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and 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.”

There was the message, and Gabriel had delivered it. He was also to wait upon his queen and remain at her service until he had a reply from her. 

He was well aware of her virginity. It was more than her youth, inexperience, and the result of a sheltered life. From her conception, Mary was guided by, and submissive to, the Holy Spirit. She was not fascinated by evil, or even curious about it. She avoided sin with the same instinctive reluctance most people feel around rattlesnakes and black widow spiders. There was nothing attractive about it, and no reason to take an interest in it. 

Because of the grace she was given -- until this moment nameless and unrecognized -- Mary was more fascinated by divine matters than by the normal fascination of a girl for boys. The calm within her heart was not flighty. When she experience the normal mood swings of puberty she could wait them out and not permit them to invade her habitual awareness of God. His presence in her heart should not be displaced by hormones, although it obviously is displaced in those who are not given the extraordinary grace of immaculation. 

But, until now, the Holy Spirit had not revealed mysteries beyond her ken. And she had a question, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?”

Gabriel was prepared with an answer drawn from Jewish history and experience. Everyone remembered Solomon's temple, that sacred shrine in Jerusalem. Although the entire universe cannot contain the Living God, he chose to reside in the temple in Jerusalem. They remembered that singular event when the Shekinah of God's presence had invaded the building while King Solomon prayed and the priests incensed the sanctuary:

When the trumpeters and singers were heard as a single voice praising and giving thanks to the LORD, and when they raised the sound of the trumpets, cymbals, and other musical instruments to “Praise the LORD, who is so good, whose love endures forever,” the cloud filled the house of the LORD. The priests could no longer minister because of the cloud, since the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God. (2 Chronicles 5:13-14)

That same spirit would now overshadow the Virgin, and "therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God." 

Mary remembered the story, understood, and was satisfied. She had no more questions. "I am the handmaid of the Lord," she said, "be it done to me according to your word."

The angel, despite his joy in the presence of his queen, could stay no longer. His mission was complete and so he left her. Like the unworthy servants of Jesus's parable, he would not presume upon her time or attention. Even as Mary Magdalene had let go of the Risen Lord to go tell the disciples the good news, Gabriel left Nazareth to deliver the good news to God. 

We learn from these servants of God to serve with the same eager energy and humble spirit. We can ask our questions but are not diverted by excessive curiosity. We accept the answers that are given and obey the summons. With pleasure.