“The
angel Gabriel
from heaven came
from heaven came
with
wings as drifted snow
and eyes as flame,
and eyes as flame,
''All
hail to thee,
O lowly maiden Mary,
O lowly maiden Mary,
most
highly favored lady.
Gloria!"
Gloria!"
“The
Angel Gabriel From Heaven Came”
Basque origin, author unknown
translated by
Charles Bordes
France, 19th
century
The
angel Gabriel had good news for Mary, the most wonderful news anyone
would ever hear: the long-promised Messiah is finally coming to
earth. The catch? Mary would the one to give birth to Him. Mary was a child herself when Gabriel told her that she, then
an unmarried virgin of about 13 years old, would bear a son who is
Christ the LORD.
You and I aren't face to face with angels and
their flaming eyes, nor are we being asked to give birth to the Son
of God, but we still can feel like too much is being asked of us. We can't possibly endure this
pain forever; we can't possibly live without our loved one who died;
we can't possibly fight the cancer we're diagnosed with; we can't
possibly...
Was
there a part of Mary that wanted to gape up into Gabriel’s
flame-like eyes and tell him he was crazy? That he's got the wrong
girl? That he's got to be kidding?! Maybe. But she still said, "Let
it be to me according to your word." (Luke 1:26-38) Faith doesn't
mean we’re not scared. It means we know God loves us no matter
what. Trust—like love—is an act of will borne from faith, not a feeling.
“It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
 |
| "The Annunciation of Mary" Henry Ossawa Tanner 1898 |
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