Second Sunday of Advent: Gabriel announces the news

In the fullness of time, the angel Gabriel announced the news to Mary,
the creative Spirit visited her & she conceived the Son of God.
This Advent, our Advent, is a time of creation, too.  
God's same Spirit abides in us, shaping & forming us, being formed & shaped by us.
What is the angel's message of grace and favor in the fullness of our own time?  
In Mary, God became flesh.  What will God become in us this Advent?  

And the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, "Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women!" {Luke 1:26-28}

young Mary, loitering once her garden way,
felt the warm splendor grow in the April day.
as wine that blushes water through.  and soon,
out of the gold air of the afternoon,
one knelt before her: hair had he, or fire,
bound back above his ears with golden wire,
baring the eager marble of his face.
Not man's nor woman's was the immortal grace
rounding the limbs beneath that robe of white,
and lighting the proud eyes with changeless light,
incurious.  calm as his wings, and fair,
that presence filled the garden.
she stood there,
saying, "what would you, sir?"
he told his word, "blessed art thou among women!" half she heard,
hands folded and face bowed, half long had known,
the message of that clear and holy tone...
and said, "so be it!"

-Mary & Gabriel, poem by Rupert Brooke 

Annunciation Angel by Titian  

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Banner detail, Shepherds Detail 11  © 2016 John August Swanson