At that time, 26 the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph,

 Gospel

At that time, 26 the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. 28 The angel came to her and said, "Rejoice, you who are highly favored, the Lord is with you!" 29 Mary was troubled by this and began to wonder what kind of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and you shall name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." 34 Mary asked the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" 35 The angel answered, "The Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy child to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 And your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age. This is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God." 38 Then Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word." And the angel departed. — Word of Salvation. Reflection Today's liturgy makes us realize the connection established between Jesus and the promise made to David. In Christ, God's desire to establish the true kingdom, an indissoluble covenant, is fulfilled. Luke's text places us at the gates of the birth of our Savior, thus marking the entry of the Eternal Word into our history according to our nature. This is the concrete beginning of our salvation through THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE LORD. The Word becomes flesh and dwells among us (cf. Jn 1:14). Heaven is present in our history. The Father is acting silently and imperceptibly to the eyes of evil; His Son assumes the newness of being a human being while remaining what he is according to divinity. The Word of God, in addition to being 100% God, also becomes 100% one of us. For all this to happen, God divinizes Mary, that is, sanctifies her, closely linking her to the Son. Historically, such a link brought risks: Mary could have been stoned and, with her, also the Savior of the world. The great truth is that Jesus and Mary have been linked to each other since “when” the Father “thought” of sending His Son; they are united in the promise; in motherhood; in public life and at the foot of the cross. Mary is the treasure of Jesus, who, at the final moment, gave her not to just anyone, because it is not a question of something to be given in any way, but to the BELOVED DISCIPLE. Mary is the BLESSED, mother of the BLESSED, she is the Blessed, and all generations will proclaim this truth. In other words, she is also with her Son in Paradise. Death does not have the power to keep in its “claws” the one who was absolutely sanctified to be the Mother, the Temple, the Tabernacle of the Most High. Luke has no doubt that God’s plan was fulfilled through Jesus Christ. It is also clear to him that the work of salvation is, above all, God’s initiative, who prepares His own “place” in history and the Temple for the realization of His saving presence. Turning entirely to Christ and starting from HIM, Luke reinterprets the Old Testament and finds direct references to Christ, prophecies and promises that can only be fulfilled in Jesus, such as, for example, Him as a descendant of David, eternal royalty and divine filiation: “When your days are over and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up a son after you, and I will establish his kingdom” (2 Sam 7:12a). Literally, the sacred author was referring to a biological son of David, but spiritually, the prophecy was not for Solomon, but for the Son of God. An important fact is precisely that it is not a political royalty, but a religious one, within the realm of human interiority through the action of the Holy Spirit. Thus, Luke emphasizes some points indicative of this messianic reality: “betrothed to a man named Joseph” (a descendant of David); “rejoice, full of grace” (the rejoice refers especially to messianic joy); “He will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end” (a clear reference to Nathan’s prophecy). And the psalmist confirms: “I have made a covenant with my chosen one, / and I have sworn an oath to David, my servant. / I will establish your lineage on your throne forever, / from generation to generation I will establish your kingdom. Then he will call to me: ‘You are my Father, O Lord, my God, / my Rock, my salvation!’ / I will keep my mercy for him forever, / and I will establish my unbreakable covenant with him” (Ps 88:4-5, 27, 29).