"One could sum up the Bible as an interplay of fear and faith. In
general, people are obsessed and overpowered by fears; we all fear whatever we
cannot control. God is one of our primary fears because God is totally beyond
us. The good news, the gospel, according to Luke, is that God has breached that
fear and become one of us in Jesus. God says, in effect, “It’s okay. You don’t
have to live in chattering fear of me.” God’s response to Mary’s quaver at the
angel’s appearance is, “Do not be afraid” (Luke 1:30), and in fact, I am
told it is the most common one-liner in the whole Bible, appearing maybe even
365 times!
In Luke’s infancy narrative, Mary is presented as prototypical
and archetypal, because God comes into her life and announces the Divine
Presence within her. Through the same Spirit, God comes into our lives and
announces the Divine Presence within us. This annunciation event is a paradigm
of every mystical experience. God offers the Godself to us even before we invite
God to do so. There is no indication of previous holiness or heroics in Mary’s
life. All we can do is be present and open."
-Richard Rohr, Adapted from The Good News According to Luke: Spiritual Reflections, p.
66
