1Samuel 2:1b-10
Psalm 66, 67
Titus 2:1-10
Luke 1:26-38
“Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.”
Today’s gospel reading tells the story of the Annunciation. The angel Gabriel arrives to an unsuspecting Jewish girl and tells her she’s been chosen to be the mother of God. Mary has trouble understanding the message, but she obediently accepts her fate with humility, placing her trust in God.
Parenting is an exercise in humility. When pregnant with our first child, I placed my faith in medical experts, friends’ advice, and a small mountain of books. I was foolish enough to think that, with enough information, I would be in control of the situation. I wasn’t…. and I’m still not.
Lately, I’ve become obsessed with watching the live panda cam at our National Zoo in Washington. I frequently check the feed online, and I’ve watched a baby panda change from a hairless, blind creature the size of a stick of butter, to his present cute and fluffy self. I’ve often asked myself why I’m so captivated. And I’ve come to understand that my attraction is maternal. I am fascinated by how this mother panda just knows how to care for this baby. In the wild, there are no doctors and no expert advice. The mother panda instinctively understands what is expected of her. The baby panda grows and thrives, as God intends, just as we do when we put our trust in God.
Evelyn Snow