FIRST READING 
Genesis 3:9–15, 20

After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree, the Lord God called to the man  and asked him, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden; but I  was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” Then he asked, “Who told you  that you were naked? You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbid den you to eat!” The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me—she  gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.” The Lord God then asked the woman,  “Why did you do such a thing?” The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me  into it, so I ate it.” 

Then the Lord God said to the serpent:
“Because you have done this, you shall be banned
from all the animals
and from all the wild creatures;
on your belly shall you crawl,
and dirt shall you eat
all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will strike at your head,
while you strike at his heel.” 

The man called his wife Eve, because she became the mother of all the living.

PSALM RESPONSE
Psalm 98:1a

Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.

SECOND READING
Ephesians 1:3–6, 11–12

Brothers and sisters: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,  who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he  chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blem ish before him. In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ,  in accord with the favor of his will, for the praise of the glory of his grace that he  granted us in the beloved.

In him we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the One  who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will, so that we might  exist for the praise of his glory, we who first hoped in Christ.

GOSPEL
Luke 1:26–38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and  he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end.” But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be  born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was  called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary said, “Behold, I am  the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

Understanding the Word 

The story of Adam and Eve and the serpent suggests that the  inevitable result of human sin is alienation from God and from one  another. Instead of trust and confidence, the divine presence now  evokes in the humans fear and a desire to hide from the divine gaze.  Personal responsibility gives way to finger pointing and excuse  making. Ultimately, though, God recognizes the role of the serpent,  who has acted malevolently, taking advantage of human weakness  and naïveté to sow discord and distrust between God and humans.  God’s response is to sow discord between the humans and the  serpent. Whereas they had earlier trusted the serpent, now humans  will look upon the instigator of their ruin with fear and hatred. 

The reading from Ephesians focuses on divine gifts of election  and blessing. Divine election means that God has “chosen” the  human family to receive “blessing” in Christ, if they will accept it in  faith and hope. The election and blessing are a call to become “holy  and without blemish,” and also the power to become so. Election  and blessing also mean adoption into God’s household, an unearned  gift, “in accord with the favor of his will.” This re-creation of human  beings in Christ, being a pure gift of God, redounds to the glory of  God, whose benevolent, gracious will is always accomplished.

When Mary is confronted with the divine presence through  Gabriel, her response is at first puzzlement and then acceptance.  Explicitly told she has nothing to fear from Gabriel (or from God),  the Virgin believes that she has found favor with God and that what  God intends to do, God will be able to do. The child to be born to  her is the culmination of a longstanding divine plan. Jesus, as the son  of David, will inherit the throne God promised to establish firmly  and forever (2 Samuel 7:13). Mary receives this announcement of  the divine will, puzzling as it may be, with trust and acceptance,  allowing the divine plan for the human race to go forward.

Reflecting on the Word 

My garden experiment is to grow all of the vegetables that we  eat in a year. But to harvest lettuce for the whole year is tricky; it  takes planning, for I have to replant even before I harvest. So for my  January crop, today I gently lay tiny seeds in the soil to germinate  under the grow lights in my basement. The mature crop that I seek  is contained right here in this small beginning. 

As I plant and pray, distressing flashes from the news play in  my head: images of children in refugee camps, leaders who lie and  betray. What is the matter with the human race, I wonder? 

Why does it sometimes feel that you, God, allow evil to win?  Come on! Do something! 

In the saga of Adam and Eve, you planted the seed of free will and  gave those first parents a choice. They blew it. They went their own  way. Free will seems to be at the core of human wrongdoing. Why,  Lord, when we could choose goodness, do we not? 

Yet even then, you wrapped the human race in love and forgiveness.  You, Creator-Most-Excellent, are a painstaking planner. You planted  the seed of salvation into the womb of the world, preserving Mary  as immaculate so that she could be a pure vessel for the One who  would come to rescue us. The end that you planned was contained  right there in that tiny beginning. 

So that seed of free will, though a difficulty, is not a mistake? The  final end that you are looking for is our graced but freely given yes:  our yes to you each day; our yes at the end of life; our yes at the  conclusion of time? You must be planting for an abundant harvest!

Consider/Discuss 

• Do you also ever felt impatient with God’s patience? I see the distress of  the world and call out, “Come on, God! Won’t you just do something?  Why do you keep trying to work through us human beings when you  know that we are fatally flawed? Come on, God!” How can we grow  to trust in God’s broader and bigger plan for human history without  descending into glib or superficial answers?
• There is much good fruit in this world that does not make the news. Where  have you witnessed someone’s yes that is bearing an abundant harvest?  What if all the people of good will in this world said a more robust yes to  goodness and justice and honesty? How would that change history?

Living and Praying with the Word

Lord God of all creation, we are not alone in asking you: what  is the matter with the human race? What about all of the troubles  of the world? All through history, people have pleaded with you to  intervene more clearly. Yet you are at work. Thank you for all of the  little acts of love and selflessness that go on in homes and hospitals,  churches and schools, homeless shelters and businesses. Thank you for free will, for being so willing to work through us as friends and  co-workers.