+ We celebrate today, the very first day after the Easter Octave, a
feast that was postponed because it fell [March 25], as it sometimes does,
during the Lenten Season: the great Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. On this day we recall the event of the
Annunciation of the Angel Gabriel to a humble maiden of Nazareth named Mary.
God has prepared a worthy, and sinless dwelling place to first receive his Word-made-flesh: the womb of this humble
virgin. But the freedom of the virgin was to be preserved, and so the dialogue
between the Archangel Gabriel and Mary causes the overshadowing power of the
Holy Spirit to come upon Mary, who freely declares herself a humble handmaid of the Lord, ready to do his bidding according to
his plan and design.
And so Jesus began to exist in
her womb: the very God of gods was now living in a loving, protective and
nurturing environment: and she would love, protect and nurture him his whole
life long – until it ended, as it was foretold, in a tragic death on a hill
outside Jerusalem. But again it would include a resurrected presence of Jesus
later on, in which she always hoped and prayed for. This whole process was done for love, for
love of us, all humans who ever lived: to save us from our sins, to restore our
broken friendship with God, and be the source of our eternal life in heaven.
When we appreciate the
humility and cooperation of the Virgin, when we understand the amazing love of
the Savior, we are moved to live out in our own lives our baptismal call to be
holy and sinless and happy and helpful people – for these are all possible now,
thanks to the simple: “Fiat” “Yes,” “let it be done to me according to your
word,” of the Blessed Mother of God!
Here I
am, Lord; I come to do your will.
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