Federico Barocci, The Annunciation
Luke 1: 26-38 [The Message] In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to the Galilean village of Nazareth to a virgin engaged to be married to a man descended from David. His name was Joseph, and the virgin’s name, Mary. Upon entering, Gabriel greeted her: “Good morning ! You’re beautiful with God’s beauty, beautiful inside and out! God be with you.” She was thoroughly shaken, wondering what was behind a greeting like that. But the angel assured her, “Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you: you will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus. He will be great, be called ‘Son of the Highest.’ The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David; he will rule Jacob’s house forever – no end, ever, to his kingdom.” Mary said to the angel, “But how? I’ve never slept with a man.” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, the power of the Highest hover over you; therefore, the child you bring to birth will be called Holy, Son of God. And did you know that your cousin Elizabeth conceived a son, old as she is? Everyone called her barren, and here she is six months pregnant! Nothing, you see, is impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Yes, I see it all now….” Then the angel left her.
Reflection: Run your eye carefully across and moving down the image. Notice the details.
Barocci has set this extraordinary event in a very ordinary domestic setting.
Today many women will discover they are pregnant. For some this will be good news, for others it will be unwelcome and bring fear, hardship, ostracism, physical violence or even death.
Ritual: Pick some flowers and place them in a vase near your candles. Each time you notice them, or light your first candle, pray for women around the world for whom pregnancy is not good news today.
(Source, World Vision New Zealand)
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