angelic visits

Just feeding my own soul on some historic Christmas sermons when I stumbled upon this insightful and thoughtful paragraph from a sermon entitled "The Maiden Mary" by the great reformer Martin Luther. . .

Quite possibly Mary was doing housework when the angel Gabriel came to her. Angels prefer to come to people as they are fulfilling their calling and discharging their office. The angel appeared to the shepherds as they were watching their flocks, to Gideon as he was threshing the grain, to Samson's mother as she sat in the field. Possibly, however, the virgin Mary, was in a corner praying for the redemption of Israel. During prayer, also, the angels are wont to appear.

Martin Luther had a habit of affirming our everyday life callings and offices. Housework is one among a great many of life's worthy callings. . . .and unavoidable for most of us. Don't you think?