The Feast of the Annuncation

The Feast of the Annunciation is celebrated on March 25, exactly nine months before Christmas.

It is often celebrated during Lent.  

In both seasons, we are preparing for the coming of Jesus.

It is not a holy day of obligation.  

Rest easy.

You don't HAVE to attend Mass on this day, 

but,

why don't you give it a try anyway?

It is on this day that we celebrate Mary's

fiat

to the Angel Gabriel

to give birth to the Son of God,

the promised Mesiah.

Mary was a faith filled young woman.  

I'm not sure what I would have done if an angel had appeared to me.

I think I would have taken off running out of fear alone.

Mary didn't run when she saw the angel.  She listened to his words to her.

“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David.  He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 

Luke 1: 30-33

St. Gabriel Catholic Church, artist John Colton

 

Mary's faith in God was great.

She only asked one question.

“How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 

^{Luke 1: 34}

^{Mary's purity is always represented in art by lilies.}

^{I love this picture because she is depicted as a young, gangly girl.}

^{Mary didn't doubt that what the angel said was true, she only wondered how it would come about.}

Courtesy of Prayer flowers

 

"The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God"

Luke 1: 35 

wikimedia commons

 

The angel finished delivering his message to

 Mary.

"And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren.  For nothing will be impossible with God."

Luke 1: 36-37

 Remember, 

the angel never told Mary that she had to say yes to becoming the Mother of God,

nor 

 did he say that she had to visit Elizabeth.

He only reminded her that

"Nothing is impossible with God."

wikimedia commons

The Holy Spirit waited on Mary's response.

Source Joyfully Catholic

Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

Luke 1:38 

art by Liz Lemon Swindle

 

  The Result:

The Lord was made flesh,

and He dwelt among us!

Mama Mary,

Thank you for your fiat.

(Fiat means YES!)