December
8

“You Have Found Favor with God”

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the name of the virgin was Mary. And the angel coming in to her said, Hail, thou who art graced! The Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women. But when she saw him she was disturbed by his word, and reasoned within herself what manner of greeting this was. And the angel said to her, Fear not, Mary; for thou hast found grace with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a Son, and shalt call His name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord God shall give to Him the throne of His father David. And He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of His kingdom there shall be no end. (Luke 1:26‒33)

The virgin also, of whom He was born, signifies the church as to the affection of truth. The genuine affection of truth is willing and longs to know the veriest truths of faith for the sake of good use as the end, and for the sake of life. They who are in the genuine affection of truth … search the Scriptures and supplicate the Lord for enlightenment, and when they are enlightened they rejoice from the heart. (God the Savior, in Posthumous Theological Works 37; Arcana Coelestia 8993.3‒4)

Divine truth, which is the Word, can only be with those who are in the spiritual affection of truth. The spiritual affection of truth consists in loving the truth itself, and esteeming it above every good of the world, because through it man has eternal life, and the only means by which eternal life is implanted in man are truths, consequently the Word, for through the Word the Lord teaches truths. (Apocalypse Explained 444.10)

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