Annunciation

‘I am the servant of the Lord.  Let it be done to me as you say.’  (Luke 1)

This year the church celebrates the Feast of the Annunciation one day late because the actual date – March 25^th – falls on a Sunday. 

But, contrary to what some may say, that does not mean that Christmas, too, will be one day late!

While we celebrate Jesus’ conception today, we also honor Mary, his mother, for her response to God’s messenger that allowed Jesus to be conceived within her.

Did you ever notice, Mary is not asked if she wants to be the mother of God; she just accepts God’s will for her and trusts in His divine providence.

While that was certainly the overriding quality of Mary, that is the trait we must seek to emulate as well in our own lives.  In this last third of our Lenten journey, as we begin to reflect more and more on the cross and the passion of Jesus, we must pray for the wisdom of Mary, so that we might accept the events of our lives, especially those events over which we have no choice or no control, and simply trust in Almighty God.

We must keep in mind that Mary’s life was filled with much joy, but also at times much embarrassment, much confusion, much fear, and certainly much suffering.

Today we honor her trust, and her willingness to carry out God’s plan, and we ask her intercession for us, so that we might do likewise in all that we say and do, knowing that it will be in this way that we will then draw ever closer to eternal life in the Father’s Kingdom of true and lasting peace.