“Let It Be to Me”
The Annunciation
On this Sunday, the fifth Sunday of Paone, the Church reads from Luke 1:26-38. In these verses, which often called “The Annunciation”, St. Luke is describing the angel Gabriel’s visit to Mary, announcing her miraculous conception of Jesus.
Gabriel appeared and greeted St. Mary saying: “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” (Luke 1:28). St. Gregory of Nyssa draws a connection between this greeting and The Fall in Genesis 3 saying, “Far different then to the news formerly addressed to the woman (Eve), is the announcement now made to the Virgin. In the former, the cause of sin was punished by the pains of childbirth; In the latter, through gladness, sorrow is driven away. Hence the angel not mistakenly proclaims joy to the Virgin, saying, “Hail”.
St. Mary was troubled, unsure of what the greeting meant. But the angel reassured her: she would conceive a son by the Holy Spirit and name Him Jesus and “He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:33). But Mary’s confusion did not lead to resistance. Instead, she pondered, not out of disbelief, but a desire to understand the will of God more deeply. Mary asked how this could be, since she was a virgin. Gabriel explained that nothing is impossible with God—even her elderly cousin Elizabeth was expecting a child.
St. Mary did not know all the details. She did not ask about Joseph’s reaction, or the shame she might endure, or the sword that would later pierce her soul (Luke 2:35). But she gave herself entirely, trusting the God who had called her. With faith and humility, Mary responded, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” Luke 1:38. St Irenaeus of Lyon emphasizes that it was St Mary’s obedience to God’s commandments that led to God choosing her, stating, “The knot of Eve’s disobedience was loosed by the obedience of Mary.”
Mary’s answer is similar to what Jesus said in Gethsemane, “Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). Was St. Mary’s proposition an introduction to Jesus’ surrender in Gethsemane? In both incidents, salvation came through self-submission. And so, through Mary’s faithful “Let it be to me”, God’s plan for salvation began to unfold.
Let us, like Mary, listen with openness, respond with humility, and offer our lives with the words: “Let it be to me according to Your word.”
Sources:
- Bible gateway
- Bible, English Standard Version
- Catena Bible, Commentary on Luke