The Invisible Angel
Scripture:
Luke 1:26-38,
2 Samuel 7:1-5,
2 Samuel 7:8-12,
2 Samuel 7:14,
2 Samuel 7:16,
Romans 16:25-27.
Reflection
Dear sisters and brothers,
Today, we have the text from the Gospel according to Luke (Luke 1:26-38) for our reflection on the fourth Sunday of Advent:
“The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favour with God.
“Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.”
We are going to reflect on a few points that are taken from the above gospel text.
Now, let us meditate on them one by one.
1. The Angel:
Mary personally experiences a totally different angel as a messenger from God.
God sent the angel “Gabriel”.
In the Bible, the archangel ‘Gabriel’ who foretold the birth of Jesus to the Virgin Mary (Luke 1:26–38), and who also appeared to Zacharias, father of John the Baptist, and to Daniel.
We ask ourselves and the others: Why does the angel not come to us today when we struggle, when we go through pain and suffering, when we experience pain of COVID-19, the pandemic and so on?
We believe in angels…
But…
Certainly, it raises the other question: Who is the Angel?
To understand who the angel is, we have to know the meaning of ‘angel’.
So…
What is the meaning of ‘angel’?
The dictionary gives us many different meanings for ‘angel’.
It may mean :
a. A spiritual being believed to act as an attendant, as an agent, or as a messenger of God, conventionally represented in human form with wings and a long robe.
b. A person of exemplary conduct or virtue.
c. A person’s outstanding beauty, qualities, or abilities.
d. A word or phrase expressing love or affection.
e. A person, who is kind or helpful.
f. A person, who supports a business financially.
g. In phrases:
i. The angel in the house: an idealised woman/man who is completely devoted to his/her wife/husband and family.
ii. On the side of the angels: on the side of what is right.
In the text, we have the angel, who brings good tidings to Mary.
Our life experience shows that all the time in our lives, we experience an angel of attendant, an angel of agent, an angel of messenger, an angel of good conduct person and virtuous persons, an angel of beauty, an angel of quality of relationship, an angel of ability to reach out to many in the time of need, an angel of love, an angel of affection, an angel of kind person, an angel of helpful person, an angel with a generous heart, an angel who is a good family member and an angel who is on the side of what is right in post-truth world: to the hopeless individual, to the hopeless people, to the hopeless family, to the hopeless society, to the hopeless world to give a good example, to live a wholistic life in the presence of God as Mary experienced in her life.
We experience the angel in our lives all the time.
Yes…
Dear sisters and brothers,
The Archangel Gabriel is the perfect example for the messenger of God.
Someone comes for our help when we need the most in our lives.
Someone prays for us as an agent for our intentions without our knowledge.
Someone brings the good news when we are in our hopeless situations as a hopeful messenger.
I would like to narrate a real incident that happened in my life.
I was back to Kadavandi at 9 am (one of the tribal mission station in Telangana State, India), after my half-yearly EIP evaluation (Exposure Immersion Program - as a part of my seminary formation) from Orissa.
It was around 9:30 am when Fr. Anthony Samy, the superior of the community called me from his mobile to inform me that I need to go to Pragnapur (90 KM away from the mission station, where I stay) with a German volunteer, who was with us for his social experience after his schooling in Germany.
I informed my superior that I was tired after my travel and I need to rest for a day.
Since he insisted me, I accepted to go to Pragnapur.
But, I never thought that I would encounter the invisible (the angel) in my life during this journey.
We started our journey by motor-bike at 12 pm without having lunch, a journey of 90 KM.
I rode the bike and the German sat behind me.
I was not feeling too well physically.
As I was riding the bike, I lost my consciousness.
I was aware till we crossed Janagoan.
Janagoan was around 30 KM away from our mission place.
We crossed Janagaon.
I lost my consciousness fully.
I had no idea how I rode the bike thereafter.
Still, we went ahead about 20 KM away from Janagaon.
After that, I lost my way while we climbed on the mountain.
The German jumped from the bike as he realised that I was going away from the road.
I went from the mountain road down around 25 feet with the bike and fell down along with it.
The bike was on me.
It was around 1:30 pm.
There were no persons around except the German who came with me.
He was shocked and did not know what to do.
He did not even know the language Telugu.
There was also no network in his mobile.
He could not call anyone for help.
After an hour, there appeared a person who came on a bi-cycle on the mountain.
He approached the German and asked what had happened.
He acted quickly and he called the ambulance by his mobile.
The ambulance arrived.
I was taken to a government hospital for my first aid and for checkup.
Meanwhile, people from the mission station arrived to the hospital.
Doctors told them that I have to be taken to Warangal hospital (city hospital) immediately for scanning and MRI since I was not responding for their treatment.
Doctor informed them that I might have head injury because of which I was not responding to their treatment.
They thought that I was already brain dead.
They immediately took me to Warangal hospital for further checkup and treatment.
They did the MRI and scanning one after another.
Finally, the result came that there was nothing serious about my health.
There was no head injury.
I opened my eyes and saw people around me.
I was on the hospital bed.
I enquired them where I was and what happened to me.
They narrated me everything that had happened from afternoon.
I escaped with little scratches on my right hand, right leg and blood clot in my right eye.
There was no fracture.
It was a miracle in my life.
The death came and went.
But I had a question………. Who is the person, who came to help me or who came to save me in the mid-noon, coming with bi-cycle on the mountain?
I asked all those who were around me but no one had an answer who he was.
I asked the German, he did not even see him after we reached the Government hospital.
He disappeared.
This is my experience of encountering invisible, the angel.
I did not see it face to face.
But, I know that you too have many experiences of these kind.
We cannot explain how? and why? …
The reality is that the angel appears in our need…for our genuine help.
This was the experience of David from his childhood as we read the first reading from this fourth Sunday (2 Samuel 7:1-5, 2 Samuel 7:8-12, 2 Samuel 7:14, 2 Samuel 7:16):
“When King David was settled in his palace,
and the Lord had given him rest from his enemies on every side,
he said to Nathan the prophet,
“Here I am living in a house of cedar,
while the ark of God dwells in a tent!”
Nathan answered the king,
“Go, do whatever you have in mind,
for the LORD is with you.”
But that night the LORD spoke to Nathan and said:
“Go, tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord:
Should you build me a house to dwell in?’
“It was I who took you from the pasture
and from the care of the flock
to be commander of my people Israel.
I have been with you wherever you went,
and I have destroyed all your enemies before you.
And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth.
I will fix a place for my people Israel;
I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place
without further disturbance.
Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old,
since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel.
I will give you rest from all your enemies.
The LORD also reveals to you
that he will establish a house for you.
And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors,
I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins,
and I will make his kingdom firm.
I will be a father to him,
and he shall be a son to me.
Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me;
your throne shall stand firm forever.””
David experienced the angel of God from his childhood, from his pasture to the throne.
Through David, God promises each one of us today that no COVID-19, no sickness, no financial crisis, no problems of life, no job-loss, and unexpressed pains, difficulties and sorrows, can take us away from our God.
He is our ANGEL, who strengthens us, He is our God who dwelt among us and suffered like us, he knows our pain, he understands our situations as God revealed in Jesus Christ as Saint Paul would write (Roman 16:25-27):
“Brothers and sisters:
To him who can strengthen you,
according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages
but now manifested through the prophetic writings and,
according to the command of the eternal God,
made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith,
to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ
be glory forever and ever. Amen.”
2. Surrender:
What is our duty?
Finding a favour with God is our duty.
How is it possible?
It is possible when we surrender fully, completely and totally to our God, the creator as Mary surrendered.
Because, He knows our life better than us.
Mary could go through the ups and downs of her life because she surrendered to God totally.
Mary believed that God loves her all the time.
Yes, dear sisters and brothers,
More than anything and everything, God loves us as He loved David, as He loved Mary, and as He loved Paul in spite of their weaknesses.
We need not feel guilty.
When we surrender, our Lord Jesus Christ forgives us and cleanses us from all our weaknesses and brokenness.
And He makes us a pure vessel of love…eternal.
It is the promise.
And God’s promise never goes in vain.
God fulfils what He promises.
Let us surrender to the Incarnate Word, who is among us…so that we may not go back to our past but we live an eternal love and life by his name and for his glory as Mary lived.
We, together, pray that may the invisible angel…guide us and guard us so that we may see the invisible angels as often as possible in our needs, in our rough times, and in our lives particularly during the pandemic as we are preparing to celebrate the Birth of the Love Incarnate.
May the Heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all. Amen…
