Luke 1:38
38 Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
Saturday, December 6 - Week of Hope
At the end of her interaction with Gabriel, Mary uttered a phrase we hear throughout scripture: “Here am I.” This three-word proclamation not only presented oneself before the Lord but signaled a desire to fully cooperate with what God was calling individuals to.
In 1 Samuel 3, God called to the boy Samuel as he slept. Not knowing it was the Lord, Samuel mistakenly went to Eli, the priest under whom Samuel served. Then, God called Samuel to represent God better since there were priests, like Eli, who were taking advantage of the office they held. Like Samuel, who was just a boy, God called Mary, who was just a young woman, and her declaration echoed across the generations. She presented herself before God so that through her, God would bring the new life that the world so desperately needed and still needs.
No matter our ages, God can call us and ask us to perform some task. None is as grand as being the Theotokos, or God bearer, like Mary. However, all that God calls us to live and serve in the example of Christ should be met with the same enthusiastic, “Here am I.”
Prayer: Lord of all generations, help us to respond with confidence, “Here am I” whenever you call. Amen.
