The 2nd Mystery of the Posadas is the subject of today's reflection. More information can be found in Journey to the Inn: An Advent Celebration.
The Annunciation of the angel to Mary is the 2nd Mystery of the Posadas. You may recognize it as the First Joyful Mystery of the rosary. In this Mystery, Mary, who at the time was a teenage girl, encounters one of the great messengers of God: the Archangel Gabriel. Gabriel's message - that Mary is highly favored by God and will conceive and bear a Son even though she is a virgin - gives Mary pause. She asks, "How can this be?"
Gabriel tells her that it will be by the power of the Holy Spirit that she shall conceive. God shall make the Child holy. He shall be called the Son of God.
Mary then consents, saying, "I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word."
Consider Mary's words. She first rightly identifies who she is in relationship to God: His servant. We must come to the same self-understanding if we are to be in right relationship with God. He loves us, He becomes one of us, He dies for us. But we must not forget that He is our Lord, as well as our Brother. We must accurately understand, in our heads and our hearts, that we are not gods. Only God is God.
We hope that this booklet helps you share the joy of Christ’s birth with your family and all your community