“There appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing on the right of the altar of incense.”
(Luke 1:11)

Gabriel opens up the New Testament. He turns history around, brings about the end of an era, ushers in redemption. There he is in the holy Temple that made Israel holy, in the sanctuary of the Lord, in front of Zechariah the priest who had entered alone, as the priced privilege of his yearly turn had come that day, to burn incense before the Holy of Holies while the devout crowd waited outside at the hour of the solemn prayer. There is Gabriel standing, as he later will go to Nazareth to complete his mission before a waiting maid to set in motion the plan God had thought out since the day Adam and Eve left Paradise, and had been taking shape prophet by prophet and king after king till the fullness of time had come and the branch of Jesse had flourished, and creation is in labour, and God is coming to visit his people in person. Gabriel opens up the new stage of history. All is ready for incarnation and redemption.

The angel of the beginnings. The preface to the narrative. The overture of the music. He knows how to give startling news, how to still growing fears, how to dispel doubts, explain plans, give name to children to be born, present proof, announce joy. He is the chief of heavenly diplomacy, the professional ambassador, the trusted messenger, the angel of the incarnation. He softens down the beginnings, establishes contact, expresses divine mysteries in human words. Tact and lucidity mark his interventions. If the word “angel” means “messenger”, Gabriel is the angel of angels.

I have much to learn from Gabriel. Public relations are not my strong point. I have no gift for diplomacy. I know nothing about the proper contacts, influences, etiquette, recommendations. I don’t attend meetings, I don’t know important people, I don’t flatter the powerful, I don’t seek influence. I say what I feel with naïve clarity, and I don’t prepare audiences or soften expressions. I don’t want to hurt anyone, and my words are always measured, but I don’t make special efforts either to win over the indifferent or to calm down the opponent if any show up in the multiple interpretations of doctrines and the variety of customs. I don’t know how to do it. It’s not my way. And perhaps I should learn it to win approval and widen acceptance. There is a praiseworthy diplomacy for the best causes to open up ways and speed up results. Its master is Gabriel.