If we view artwork which throughout the centuries has been created to depict Mary and angel Gabriel, we often observe Mary looking reserved and meek with her head down, body somewhat bowed, and holding her hands over her heart. Angel Gabriel may be above her and, at times, have a large, imposing appearance. To me, those images do not capture the power of the encounter and Mary’s yes to God.
God burst into Mary’s life that day. God broke into her thoughts, plans, hopes, and dreams and invited her to trust with her entire being that she would be the mother of the one who would rule over the house of Jacob forever… you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High.
Her response was not meek. It was emphatic and strong. Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.
A search for the word handmaid yields terms such as female servant, helper, and partner. She responded that she would serve, help, and partner with God to be the mother of this precious baby. She had a choice. She was free. She chose to say: May it be done to me according to your word.
Mary is not alone. God is always trying to break into our lives. We are free and at the same time supported by a God who wishes to be an integral part of our life journey. In my work in ministry, I cannot count the number of times I have heard people say: I believe that God has had a hand in the direction and decisions of my life. I realize that I am free to make life choices, but the countless moments of inspiration, words of other people, insights, and love had to come from God.
Saint Ignatius, the founder of the Jesuits, would agree. Ignatius …without any foreknowledge of our modern social media imaged God as breaking into our life in a myriad of ways every day…God is always trying to communicate with us (Fleming, 2005).
Each of us has had and will continue to experience Gabriel moments. God will always break in. Our call is to notice. Today, may we be mindful of our own Gabriel moments—both past and present. When has God broken into our life? How were (or are) we invited to partner with God and take new paths/risks? Those invitations and decisions may be life-altering and not always easy. Yet our inspiration comes from Gabriel’s words to Mary: Do not be afraid.
Reference
David Fleming, SJ. Lessons from Ignatius Loyola, (Review for Religious, St. Louis, Missouri, 2005) p. 35
Susan Naatz
I retired from Creighton University in the spring of 2024, from my position as the senior director of the department of Ignatian Formation and Ministry for Faculty and Staff.
Before Creighton, I worked and served in three Catholic parishes as an educator, director of religious formation, pastoral minister, and counselor.
As a founder of an Omaha Archdiocesan Guatemala mission group called Ixim (Ee-Sheem): Spirit of Solidarity, I continue to help organize and prepare people for mission trips to Guatemala.
My husband John is retired from Creighton Prep High School after serving there for 39 years as teacher, principal, and president. Our beautiful family includes three sons, three daughters-in-law and seven grandchildren.
It has been a deeply spiritual experience to write daily reflections for Creighton’s Online Ministries. Writing about scripture has helped my own personal faith formation journey. But it is when I hear from our readers from all over the world that I receive a tremendous sense of peace and solidarity. I am grateful to all who read our reflections. I experience God through you. Bless you!
