GABRIEL'S ANNOUNCEMENT

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From THE URANTIA BOOK

Part IV, 122, 3

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One evening about sundown, before Joseph had

returned home, Gabriel appeared to Mary by the side

of a low stone table and, after she had recovered

her composure, said: "I come at the bidding of one

who is my Master and whom you shall love and nurture.

To you, Mary, I bring glad tidings when I announce that

the conception within you is ordained by heaven,

and that in due time you will become the mother of a son;

you shall call him Joshua, and he shall inaugurate the

kingdom of heaven on earth and among men.

Speak not of this matter save to Joseph and

to Elizabeth, your kinswoman, to whom I have also

appeared, and who shall presently also bear a son,

whose name shall be John, and who will prepare

the way for the message of deliverance which

your son shall proclaim to men with great power

and deep conviction. And doubt not my word, Mary,

for this home has been chosen as the mortal habitat of

the child of destiny. My benediction rests upon you,

the power of the Most Highs will strengthen you,

and the Lord of the earth shall overshadow you.

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Mary pondered this visitation secretly in her heart

for many weeks until of a certainty she knew she was

with child, before she dared to disclose these unusual events

to her husband. When Joseph heard all about this,

although he had great confidence in Mary, he

was much troubled and could not sleep for many nights.

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At first Joseph had doubts about the visitation.

Then when he became well-nigh persuaded that

Mary had really heard the voice and beheld the form

of the divine messenger, he was torn in mind

as he pondered how such things could be.

How could the offspring of human beings be

a child of divine destiny? Never could Joseph

reconcile these conflicting ideas until, after

several weeks of thought, both he and Mary reached

the conclusion that they had been chosen to become

the parents of the Messiah, though it had hardly

been the Jewish concept that the expected deliverer

was to be of divine nature. Upon arriving at this

momentous conclusion, Mary hastened

to depart for a visit with Elizabeth.

Upon her return, Mary went to visit her parents,

Joachim and Hannah. Her two brothers and

two sisters, as well as her parents, were always very

skeptical about the divine mission of Jesus,

though, of course, at this time they knew nothing

of the Gabriel visitation. But Mary did confide to

her sister Salome that she thought her son was

destined to become a great teacher.

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Gabriel's announcement to Mary was made the day

following the conception of Jesus and was

the only event of supernatural occurrence connected

with her entire experience of carrying and bearing

the child of promise.
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The angel summoned Mary, betrothed to Joseph,

from the rather safe place of conventional wisdom to a realm where few of the old rules would make much sense.  She entered that unknown called "virgin territory."  She was on her own there.  No one else could judge for her the validity

of her experience.

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She can measure her reality against Scripture, the teachings

of her tradition, her reason and intellect, and the counsel of wise friends.  But finally it is up to her.  The redemption of the creation is resting on the consent - the choice of this mortal woman to believe fearlessly that what she is experiencing is true.  And to claim and live out that truth by conceiving the fruit of salvation.

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Loretta Ross-Gatta

From WATCH FOR THE LIGHT

Readings for Advent & Christmas

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