The Annunciation of the Lord
“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”
The Annunciation celebrates the angel Gabriel’s message to Mary and her faithful consent to the Incarnation of the eternal Son of God.
The story
The Gospel of Luke places the Annunciation in Nazareth during the reign of Herod the Great. God sent the angel Gabriel to Mary, a virgin betrothed to Joseph of the house of David. Gabriel greeted her as one who was highly favored and announced that she would conceive a son named Jesus. He would receive the throne of David, and his kingdom would have no end.
Mary asked how this could happen since she had no relations with a man. Gabriel answered that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and that the power of the Most High would overshadow her. Therefore, the child would be holy and would be called the Son of God. Gabriel also told Mary that her relative Elizabeth, previously considered barren, had conceived a son. Mary then freely answered, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”
At Mary’s consent, the eternal Son of God assumed a true human nature in her womb. He did not cease to be divine. The one conceived was one divine person, the Son, fully God and fully man. This is the mystery of the Incarnation, a central dogma of the Catholic faith. Mary’s cooperation was real and free, but it was itself made possible by God’s grace. The Catechism explains this mystery in CCC 484 to 486.
Christians were celebrating the Annunciation by late antiquity, and the feast was established at Rome by the seventh century. March 25 falls nine months before the Nativity of the Lord on December 25. In the present General Roman Calendar, the Annunciation of the Lord has the rank of solemnity. Its title emphasizes that the celebration is first about Christ’s Incarnation, while also honoring Mary’s obedient faith. When March 25 falls during Holy Week or the Easter Octave, the solemnity is transferred according to the Church’s liturgical discipline. Through this feast, the Church kneels in wonder before the Word who became flesh for human salvation.
What Annunciation teaches
The Annunciation teaches that salvation begins with God’s initiative and invites a free response of faith. Mary’s consent shows how grace enables human freedom rather than destroying it. Her words offer a pattern for every vocation: “May it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).
Patronage
unborn children, expectant mothers, Christian vocations, the mystery of the Incarnation.
Prayer
Father, you sent your angel to announce that your eternal Son would take flesh from the Virgin Mary. Give us the grace to receive your word with faith and to follow your will with her generous obedience. Through the Incarnation of Christ, lead us to eternal life. Amen.