Ever wonder what that announcement meant to Mary? Here are a few possibilities many do not consider. First, she was “greatly troubled.” Angelic visits are not the normal order of the day, not in our day nor in Mary’s. The angel Gabriel said she was “favored,” but favored for what? Mary knew enough to know that God does not send angels to say “Hey, good news! It will be sunny tomorrow.” When an angel visits, there is work about to be done.
