Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
The Solemnity of the Annunciation, falling as it does at the end of March, is frequently eclipsed by the season of Lent, if not by proximity to Easter. And that, of course, is unfortunate, since the occasion identifies two important events within salvation history. Although we think of Christmas as the feast of the incarnation, the moment when God became man, the incarnation occurred at the Annunciation.
The second aspect of this event was Mary’s “yes” to the will of God in her life. It was not an easy yes, and saying yes to God’s will placed her under the cross of her son. Today’s feast recalls for us the love of God for humanity and our call to imitate Mary in saying yes to that same love and express that love to those made in God’s image and likeness. Wisely have church documents noted that there are not several “races” but only one human race, joined into the body of Christ by means of the incarnation. The feast of the Annunciation calls us to constantly recall that mystical body and our responsibility in caring for all its members.