The
angel of the Lord announced unto Mary, and she conceived by the Holy Ghost
Hail
Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed
art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy
Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Today we take a
break from Lent. We take a break from
our fast, from our solemnity, and from everything that this penitential season
entails. Why? Because today is the Feast of the
Annunciation! And while the season of Lent calls us into preparation through
prayer and fasting, today is a day for feasting, for taking the ‘Alleluias’ out and
celebrating.
So what are we
celebrating today, exactly? The
Annunciation marks the occasion on which the angel Gabriel came to a poor,
young Palestinian woman and told her that she would become the theotokos, the “God-bearer.” With this action the whole of human history
was turned on its head. It was not in
majesty, riches, or pomp & circumstances that God chose to be born into this
world. Rather, God decided to enter the
world in loneliness, poverty, and great humility. By entering this world like all of us, God
took on all of our struggles, fears, and joys.
And whereas every other deity had always dwelt far away from humanity,
this God—our God—chose to be in relationship with humanity; God’s story became
our story and vice versa. And it all
began with the message of an angel to a young girl named Mary. THAT is what we celebrate today!
This new thing that
God was working in Mary’s life must have certainly been frightening; in fact,
in every other occasion that an angel meets a human in Scripture, the angel has
to remind the human not to be afraid.
However, Mary’s fears are put at ease with her incredible faith. “Let it be with me,” she says. Let it be with me.
I wonder what new
thing God is doing in you right this moment.
I wonder what heavenly work is being nurtured within you. Maybe it is frightening. Still, I pray that you will have Mary’s
courage to say yes to it. Let it be with
you. Let it be with me. Let whatever new thing God is creating be
with us.
So today, as we
step away from Lent, I pray that you will celebrate whatever new thing God is
stirring up inside of you. I pray that
you will use this day to look around you and see the glory of God’s creation
and shout in joy and thanks for the abundance of God’s goodness that lies all
around you. And yes, dust off those
‘Alleluias’ today!
God’s blessings be
upon you as you continue your Lenten journey and as we turn the corner toward
Jerusalem, the cross, and glory. But for
today, celebrate God’s goodness in you and around you! Alleluia!!
The Annunciation (Henry Ossawa Tanner, 1898)
