Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
It is a striking coincidence that in the middle of Lent we celebrate this Solemnity of the Annunciation. It is a reminder to us that although we are in the season of penance and preparation for the resurrection and Easter season, we are only nine months away from Christmas. Today we celebrate the angel Gabriel appearing to Mary, and hence we also celebrate the conception of Christ within her blessed womb. In a society that often does not consider conception as the beginning of life, this solemnity stands as a marked reminder that for Catholics, conceptions do matter, as does responding to God’s will. It is also a reminder to us that pregnancy takes time. Our Advent preparation for Christmas is remarkably short compared to the nine months of Mary’s preparation for the Nativity.
But although Christmas might seem off in the distance whereas the Triduum and Easter are close on the horizon, all of these seasons are connected by a common person: Christ Jesus. As the first reading from the prophet Isaiah reminds us, Jesus is “God with us,” Emmanuel, who comes to his people as a sign of God’s love and as God’s love incarnate, made flesh in the womb of Mary, the Mother of God. In the gospel reading, we hear the lovely account of how Mary willingly and humbly accepted Jesus into her life and into her body. Despite knowing some of the hardship she would endure as a pregnant, as-of-yet unwed woman, Mary said yes to God. Our responsorial psalm response applies to her: “Here I am, Lord, I come to do your will” (Ps 40:8a, 9a). So also Jesus came to do his Father’s will, demonstrating the divine unity of the three persons of the Trinity. In this season of Lent, we have been recalling Jesus’ temptation in the desert while heading toward his agony in the garden of Gethsemane prior to his passion and crucifixion.
Our second reading, from St. Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews, reminds us that in all Jesus did, he was living the will of God: “Behold, I come to do your will” (Heb 10:8). It wasn’t an easy road for Jesus; it was the road to Jerusalem. But like his blessed mother, Jesus never shirked from the task at hand. From conception to cross, Jesus’ life was about doing God’s will. In his great mercy and love, God has granted us the opportunity also to share in his will for our redemption. God desires our salvation; God desires that we spend eternal life with him. We are called, like Mary to say yes to God, even when the task seems daunting. And, like Jesus, our road will not always be easy. From our conceptions, we also were called to the cross of Christ.
As Lent continues, we must embrace our crosses – whether chosen Lenten penances or the everyday hardships of life. And we must do this in a spirit of joy and gratitude, for God wants to save us! Let us pray that, with Mary as our model, we may accept Jesus as did she. Let us pray that we might undertake Mary’s and Jesus’ model to do God’s will. As we celebrate this solemnity and then continue in the waning days of Lent, may our fervent prayer be: “Here I am, Lord, I come to do your will!”
- Maria Morrow