5th Week of Lent, The Annunciation of the Lord

Liturgy of the Word:

Is. 7:10-14; 8:10;

Ps. 40:7-8, 8-9, 10-11;

Heb. 10:4-10;

Lk. 1:26-48.

Some Notes on the Annunciation of the Lord:

The celebration of the Feast of the Annunciation goes back to the 6th century in the East and to the 7th century in Rome. The Annunciation, the moment of the Lord’s Incarnation in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is celebrated nine months before his birth.

We commemorate the sacred moment when the Archangel Gabriel announces to Mary in the town of Nazareth that she would conceive and bear the Son of God, the Savior of the world. This moment marks the actual Incarnation of Jesus Christ, the turning point in salvation history when divinity meets humanity. It demonstrates the wondrous love and mercy of God for all humankind

The Old Testament records several annunciations and birth predictions: to the Egyptian slave Hagar prior to the birth of Ishmael (Gen. 16:7-11); to Abraham on the birth of Isaac (Gen. 17:15-16); to Rebekah on the birth of her twins, Jacob and Esau (Gen. 25:23); to the mother of Samson (Jgs. 13:5); and finally on the birth of the child, Immanuel (Is. 7:14).

The Annunciation is also cited in the Qur’an (3:45-51, “Aal ‘Imran,” and 19:16-21 on “Maryam,” Mary, as the virginal woman chosen to be the mother of the promised Messiah, “Isâ,” Jesus.

1st Reading, Is. 7:10-14; 8:10. The historical background. The Syro-Ephraimite War (735-732 BC). Isaiah says that Judah and its Davidic dynasty should trust God’s promises and not fear the combined armies of Israel and Syria. Soon these two enemy States will be destroyed and David’s dynasty will endure.

The Lord gives King Ahaz of the House of David a sign: the young pregnant woman will bear a son and shall name him Emmanuel. Before the child becomes a young man, Syria and Ephraim shall be deserted. The Lord will provide prosperity and will return his people from exile (vv. 14 -19). For “With us is God,” (8:10).

Resp. Ps. 40:7-8, 8-9, 10-11. You, O Lord, my God, you prefer obedience to your law than burnt sacrifice and offerings.

2nd Reading, Heb. 10:4-10. You do not desire burnt sacrifices and offerings. You desire instead the doing of your will, by which “we have been consecrated through the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (vv. 4-10).

Gospel, Lk. 1:26-48. The Annunciation.

In the sixth month after the conception of St. John the Baptist, the angel Gabriel is sent from God to the Virgin Mary in the town of Nazareth in Galilee (v. 1). Mary was of the house of David and was espoused to Joseph, also of the house of David. The angel greets her, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” Mary is troubled by the greeting. She knows not the sight of the angel nor the meaning of his salutation.

Then the angel makes his announcement. “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end” (vv. 30-33).

Mary understands that this announcement has to do with the coming Redeemer. But why should she be selected from amongst women for the noble dignity, having vowed her virginity to God? (St. Augustine). Filled with astonishment, she asks, “How can this be, since I have no relation with any man?” (v. 34). The angel answers, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the child to be born will be called holy, the Son God” (v. 35).

The angel then cites God’s power in the miraculous pregnancy of Elizabeth, her old and barren relative. “Nothing is impossible with God” (vv. 36-37). Entrusting herself to God, Mary declares her “Fiat” — “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me [“Fiat mihi”] according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her (v. 38).

Many Church Fathers (Augustine, Jerome, Cyril, Ephrem, Thomas Aquinas) say that the consent of Mary was essential to the redemption of humanity. Pope Benedict XVI stated: “The Annunciation is a humble, hidden event that no one saw or knew, except for Mary. But at the same time it is a decisive moment in the history of humanity. When the Virgin said ‘Yes’ to the Angel’s Annunciation, Jesus was conceived and with Him began a new era in history….” His becoming one of us is a constant reminder that we have to care for one another.

Prayer: O God, who willed that your Word should take on the reality of human flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary, grant, we pray, that we, who confess our Redeemer to be God and man, may merit to become partakers even in his divine nature, through Christ our Lord. Amen.