March 25: The Annunciation of the Lord / La Anunciación del Señor

We celebrate today the Annunciation of the Lord to Mary and the start of her pregnancy, nine months before December 25^th. As a Church, we remember how the joyful promise of her conceiving the Messiah was announced by the Angel Gabriel and received by her.
In fact, at the Annunciation, God’s call met with this human response, “Let what you have said be done to me.” The Gospel is presenting Mary here as the exemplary disciple, the one who hears the word of God and keeps it. Because of her response to God, she became a source of blessing for all of humanity. If we can enter in some way into her response to God’s call, we too will be a source of blessing for others.
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For further reflection: On the face of it, the Annunciation account in Luke 1, 26-38 seems quite like the angel’s visit to Zechariah announcing the birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1, 8-20). Looking more closely, however, we see that they are set in clear contrast to each other. Zechariah was standing at the center of the nation’s place of worship and “the whole assembly of the people was praying outside.” But Mary was a seemingly insignificant, unknown figure, remote from all centers of power.
Mary’s demeanor is also contrasted with Zechariah’s: she takes God at His word, unlike the argumentative Zechariah; she too had a question, similar to Zechariah’s question, but there are many different kinds of “why” (or “how”). In fact, Zechariah’s question was literally, “by what shall I know this?” as if asking for independent confirmation. Meanwhile, Mary’s question was simply “how?” her question was like that of a child, or like someone wanting to open a door, or wanting to enter more deeply. St Ambrose commented on Luke 1, 26-38 by saying, “Every soul who has believed, both conceives and generates the Word of God and recognizes His works. Let the soul of Mary be in each one of you to magnify the Lord.”
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Celebramos hoy la fiesta solemne de la Anunciación del Señor. Éste es el día en que se anuncia a María la Buena Noticia de que ella será la Madre de Jesús. El objeto del anuncio es Jesús. Él será “Dios-con-nosotros” que viene a hacer la voluntad de Dios Padre, encarnándose entre nosotros y salvándonos. Es el día de Jesús, pero también el día de su Madre. Ella, con la misma disposición que Jesús de servir a Dios y al Pueblo, dice: “Estoy totalmente dispuesta a servir. Soy la sierva del Señor.” Que éstas sean también nuestras palabras y sentimientos – son hermosas, pero no son fáciles.
Oremos. “Dios nuestro, que quisiste que tu Hijo, al encarnarse en el seno de Santa María, participara de toda nuestra condición humana, concede a quienes lo reconocemos como Dios y hombre verdadero, participar, por medio de la gracia, de su vida divina. Por nuestro Señor Jesucristo que vive y reina contigo por los siglos de los siglos. Amén.”