Feast of the Annunciation . . .

Looking at the calendar, there is a surprising number of Feasts that fall during Lent so we have plenty of days of joy to provide a bit of respite and lighten the mood of Lent.

Today's Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord is one of the most beautiful. It is such a significant feast after all. Where would be without Mary's willing acceptance of the role entrusted to her as Mother of Our Lord, Mother of the Church, our Mother?

The story of the message brought by an angel is so familiar to us that we almost take it for granted but what an incredible story it is.

I find it very difficult to imagine what it must have been like for a young girl in Mary's situation to hear the familiar (to us) words spoken by the angel Gabriel,

'Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you . . . '

And yet, such is Mary's faith, that she humbly accepts this with her response,

'I am the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me as you have said.'

Trying to think of modern day comparable situations just doesn't work. There are no comparable situations!

We are lucky where we live in that we can hear the Angelus bell from our local Catholic church which is still rung (albeit automatically) at noon and 6pm. Quite often on my day off I'm outside at midday coming back from a short walk or doing a bit of gardening and it's lovely to hear the bell and be able to quietly pray the Angelus.

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:

And she conceived by the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee;

blessed art thou among women

and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners,

now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord:

Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

And the Word was made Flesh:

And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God,

that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord,

Thy grace into our hearts;

that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son,

was made known by the message of an angel,

may by His Passion and Cross

be brought to the glory of His Resurrection,

through the same Christ Our Lord.
Amen.