Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord:

Feast day : 25 March

Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, the day when the angel Gabriel announced to the Blessed Virgin Mary that she would conceive the Son of God by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Annunciation to Mary inaugurates “the fullness of time”, the time of the fulfilment of God’s promises and preparations. At the announcement that she would give birth to “the Son of the Most High” without knowing man, by the power of the Holy Spirit, Mary responded with the obedience of faith, certain that “with God nothing will be impossible” thereby giving her full co-operation to God’s plan for human salvation.

Mary was invited to conceive him in whom the “whole fullness of deity” would dwell “bodily”. And it is in total faith and obedience to the will of God that she responds to the angel’s announcement with her ‘Yes’, thereby giving her full co-operation to God’s plan for human salvation. In the faith of his humble handmaid, the Gift of God found the acceptance he had awaited from the beginning of time. She whom the Almighty made “full of grace” responded by offering her whole being saying “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Luke 1:38

To her question “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” Luke 1:34 the answer of the angel Gabriel “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” Luke 1:35 explains to us that the participation in this new divine life arises “not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” As we read in the Gospel of John 1:12-13 “But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.”

(Source: Catechism of the Catholic Church)