“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (Luke 1:35)  This is a statement of the Angel Gabriel to Mary during the annunciation about her expecting a child.  I was reading this this morning as it was the Gospel Lesson for the day.  March 25 is the actual date when the Annunciation of the Lord is usually celebrated in the Catholic Church (9 months before Christmas). 

As I was pondering the story verse 35 stood out to me.  Mary wondered how she would have a child since she was a virgin.  Gabriel said, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.”  As I thought about that phrase it occurred to me that it should be all of our desires that we be overshadowed by the Most High God.  Because Mary had the Spirit come upon her and she was overshadowed by the Most High she was used greatly of God as the mother of our Lord. 

The idea of overshadowing is a wonderful image.  It is the Most High God who comes and casts his shadow over us, so that it is God, not ourselves, who are shining forth to the world.  It is God’s image that is seen by the world, when our actions, our lives, are controlled by the Holy Spirit.

Perhaps our prayer each day or each week should be that the Most High God would overshadow us so that we might be used by God in the lives of those around us.  For me this morning I prayed that God’s Spirit would come upon me and the Most High would overshadow me that I might be used in the lives of this congregation.  This could be seen in visitation, administration, preaching etc.

How might God use you?  If the Most High God overshadows you how might you be used in your family?; your job; the community; the church, etc.?

May the Holy Spirit come upon you and overshadow you that you might be used to spread the grace and love of God to those around you.

Blessings and Peace,