This morning's Gospel from Luke recounts God's announcement to Mary that she was to become the Mother of the Savior. It describes Mary's initial reaction of fear and confusion, and Joseph's reaction to the fact that his fiancée was about to have a child that wasn't his. Then Luke records Mary's song of praise (called the "Magnificat") which she sang in response to this announcement. You see, God's announcement to Mary was in reality a promise to her that she would become the mother of the Christ child.

That's what I want to talk about this morning -- promises. How does that phrase go? "Promises, promises, promises!" Promises are an integral part of life. They are easy to make, even easier to break, and, once broken, bring untold pain and anguish. In fact, without promises it would be impo…