Waiting With Mary / Advent 1

Dear friends,

Today is the first Sunday of Advent, which is also the first day of the liturgical year, which is also the first day of December. How tidy!

This Advent series is primarily one of sacred reading, or lectio divina. Over the next four Sundays I’ll share a selected passage of scripture centered on a weekly theme. (Paid subscribers will have access to audio recordings of each scripture passage read by yours truly.) Traditionally these include hope, peace, joy, and love. I’m expanding on these with with help of Carmelite themes, which are waiting, accepting, journeying, and birthing.¹ I’ve included some beautiful music, artwork, and journal prompts to enrich your time. Visio divina, the sister practice of sacred reading, follows a similar pattern of reflection and may be applied to either the visual or audio elements. generously

If this is unfamiliar to you, lectio divina is a prayerful way of reading scripture or other beautiful texts by using four steps.

• Lectio: Read or listen to the passage with care. Repeat 2-3 times.

• Meditatio: Meditate on the text for a few minutes. Take note of any words or phrases that stick out.

• Oratio: Respond to God with prayer.

• Contemplatio: Contemplate God’s love for you.

Take as much time as you need with this practice. I’d suggest a ten minute minimum.

This week’s passage describes Mary’s encounter with the angel, Gabriel, or what’s called the Annunciation. Luke is the only gospel writer to record this moment and by doing so offers us a glimpse into the liminal space Mary occupied. She was young, but old enough to know a thing or two, engaged to Joseph and of low societal status. She was likely waiting for the day where she may know herself more fully, be married, and, maybe, be freed from the weight of the empire around her and her people. And now, after Gabriel’s message, she awaits the outcome of a pregnancy like no other.

The Annunciation, Henry Ossawa Tanner, 1898

The Birth of Jesus Foretold, Luke 1:26-38 (NLT)

“In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”

Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”

The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. For the word of God will never fail.”

Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.”

Journal Prompts:

• The first words we read from Mary form a question: how can this be? In what ways are you asking this question in your own life?

• Gabriel points to Elizabeth’s pregnancy and credits God’s literal life-giving words. Where do you find hope during times of waiting?

• Mary’s receives the angel’s message by saying, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” Knowing what you do about Mary, what is it like for you to read those words?

Related Resources:

• Get a free preview of the Advent resources listed in the 2024-2025 Liturgical Calendar Guide in the Library, and a discount code for the whole thing!

• Download and use this guide for any lectio divina passage.