Blessed Saint Gabriel, Archangel We beseech you to intercede for us at the throne of divine mercy: As you announced the mystery of the Incarnation to Mary, so through your prayers may we receive strength of faith and courage of spirit, and thus find favor with God and redemption through Christ Our Lord. May we sing the praise of God our Savior with the angels and saints in heaven forever and ever. Amen.
“But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.’
‘How will this be,’ Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’
The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God." Luke 1:30-35
Saint Gabriel is probably the most commonly known archangel, since he is the one who brings Mary the message that she is to give birth to Jesus, yet I know that I tend to glance past him in scripture. Often times, he just ends up bearing the role of a side character in the important feast of the Annunciation, however, there’s a lot to learn from St. Gabriel.
This message that he brings Mary would be quite daunting for any fourteen year old girl, yet he brings it with such peace, affirmation, and clarity. He also brings it with such boldness considering the weight of this task that the Lord is asking of him, however, he doesn’t question it. He just brings this message to Mary, anyways, in total faith.
God wants to speak through us constantly, sometimes with clearer words than others. Those tender nudges that we get to strike up a conversation with the cashier at Target or seemingly silly images that He gives us during prayer are His gentle askings to let Him speak through us
Once, during my first semester of college, I went to a daily mass and the priest listed off various things during his homily for us to contemplate what we may be struggling with between God and us. I was brought to the realization that I did not believe that God loved me, but I didn’t know where to go with this. That same night, my brother sent me a random text saying, “I just feel like I need to tell you to ask God how much He loves you.” Quite honestly, I was a bit freaked out at the time, but how gentle and persistent is the Father in pursuing us with this intimate love. I began to pray that little prayer here and there, and I began to see the ways that Father was loving me through moments of peace in prayer, through sending me His mother through the consecration, and in the details of every day. It all began from my brother’s boldness, like St. Gabriel’s, in sharing what that little tug on his heart was begging of him. I know I am forever grateful. See, the secret is in what Mother Teresa of Calcutta kept preaching. The most beautiful gift that we can give to anyone is the knowledge that they are seen, known, and loved by anybody, but ultimately by God.
To Jesus Through Mary - Alyssa Schimmoeller
