Exiit qui seminat
Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
On the 25th March, the Catholic Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, the moment when the archangel Gabriel appears to the Mary and proclaims, "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." With Mary's "yes" to the Lord's plan for her life through the birth of His only begotten Son, all of creation is changed forever! Through this most humble, yet perfect vessel, the Savior of the world enters into the human condition in order to redeem it. If March 25th perks our spiritual ears, it should! Because even in the midst of our Lenten journey and our preparation for Holy Week and Easter, we recognize that in 9 short months from March 25th the Church will gather together to celebrate Christ's birth. So why does the Catholic Church point out to Christmas when Easter is so close? The answer is easy, because we can't have Jesus' Paschal Mystery - His Passion, Death and Resurrection, without His coming as man. The gift and mystery of the Incarnation, the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, informs not just our liturgical year, but leads our faith and our lives toward Easter and the Resurrection. So as we recall this special celebration of the Church year, let our "yes" to God's will echo the "yes" of the Blessed Virgin Mary to allow Her Son to once more enter into our hearts and lead us to the glory of eternal life!
Fr. Rob Sinatra
