‘The flutter of a wing, a rustling in the air, a voice, and the future began to begin’

Tomorrow (March 25) the Catholic Church celebrates the ‘Annunciation of the Lord’. This feast is a solemnity - a feast day of the highest rank celebrating a mystery of faith. It celebrates God’s angel (Gabriel) making the most important announcement in the history of the world, the announcement asking Mary to be the mother of God in Human form (Jesus).

Imagine the moment the angel Gabriel approached Mary, a young, lower class village girl with the words… “Greetings favoured one …You will conceive in your womb and bear a son… the son of the Most High… His kingdom will have no end”. 

Mary must have been amazed and shocked. We know she was also troubled because she wasn’t yet married to Joseph (Pregnancy outside of wedlock was punishable by death for Jews in those days). Mary’s faith in God and God’s grace gave her the courage to say “…I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” [Lk 1:38]

Mary is the link between heaven and earth and is the very first Saint. God created us for union with Him and always wants be closer to us. Mary’s ‘YES’ is the reason God came to earth as Jesus to live among us and show us ‘the way’ to Him. We celebrate Christmas because of Mary’s ‘YES’.

God could have become human in any number of creative ways but chose to enter our world as we all do, by being born. In the same way, God exited the world through the door of death, as we all have to. This Church season of Lent and Easter reminds us about Jesus’ life and then His death on the cross, before His Resurrection and Ascension into heaven.

Mary’s ‘YES’ made all this possible. She said YES to God, but also to us, her future spiritual children. ‘My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed’ (blessed with the amazing honour of bearing our Lord) Through the birth, life and devastating death of her son Jesus, we today can truly know God.

Mary was in the midst of an ordinary day but attentive to God’s ongoing presence enough to recognise his voice in the angel Gabriel. And she was faithful and trusting enough to accept His invitation. God invites all of us to share in his life of love and puts before us every day a million different invitations. Maybe we should think about following Mary’s example, by setting aside a little time for quiet prayer and contemplation.  We could try to be a little more aware of God’s presence when we pray, and in our day. God may have something to say to us too!

O Holy Mother Mary, we ask you to pray for us. That we may be attentive to God’s presence in our lives and His will for us. Amen.