One of my favourite phrases from the Gospel of the Annunciation today is “the Lord is with you”.
By greeting each other saying the Lord is with you, we are saying that love is dwelling within, that the indelible marks of Christ are seen within us, that His grace is present within us.
In these times of isolation and physical distancing, hear the words “the Lord is with you” and in turn realise that we are not without the Lord.
When we proclaim this greeting of joy and love we are saying that we are not alone, we are not without Him, no matter how abandoned and broken we feel.
Mary heard these same words and showed courage.
This is the inspiration we take from Mary today, courage in the face of isolation and difficulty.
Mary knew her yes would cause her sorrow and pain but joy was promised too.
Today as we all continue to make the painful choice to not see loved ones, family and friends who are separated from us, we put our trust in the Lord that He is with us. That He is with us to help us to know that this sacrifice of our yes is in sodality with the courage of Mary and of the love that dwells deep within.
The Lord is with you.
Amen.
Sitting at the well 