Mary in Advent - 2

Image: The Annunciation by Henry Ossawa Tanner

Although the Church celebrates the Annunciation on March 25, I can't help but think, in Advent, of that moment when God's messenger appeared to Mary to tell her that she would conceive of the Holy Spirit and bear the Christ Child in her womb.

The Annunciation is the subject of many paintings but without a doubt my favorite is the one above by Henry Ossawa Tanner. You can read Tanner's biography here and see two other paintings of his which, like this one, show a mastery of the use of light.

The light of God in the angel's presence burns in this painting and burns hot and bright. God never leaves us in the dark but sometimes we fail to open our eyes to the light the Lord shines upon us or the darkness around us begins to overwhelm. As we prepare to celebrate Christmas and as we ponder the Annunciation, we might ask the Lord to open our eyes to his light on our path, to the guiding star in the sky, to the light of a friend's advice and guidance, to the light with which the Spirit burns in our prayer.

Click on the image above for a larger version and study the face of Mary. You will see in her eyes some alarm, confusion and bewilderment. And yet she said, "Yes!" Pray with me for the grace to say yes to God's love even when, just weeks away from Christmas, we find ourselves blind to the path along which he leads us.

Come, Lord of winter days
and melt the cold edges of my heart;
Come, Lord of winter nights
and shine your warmth upon and within me.
Come, Jesus, light the steps along my path
that I may see the way and follow you.