The Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
Perhaps no celebration on the Church’s calendar outside of the Easter Tridium has more significance than what the church recalls on this day. The Annunciation of Mary identifies the event when Mary said yes to the action of God in her life. This yes was a free act which brought about the incarnation of Christ. Today is actually the feast of the incarnation, while Christmas is the feast of the Nativity or birth of the Incarnate word.
Because of Mary’s unconditional yes to the will of God, the Christian community noted two important characteristics about Mary. First and foremost that God had chosen her to be the Mother of Jesus and second, that Mary freely accepted that invitation out of a desire to fulfill the will of God.
The first point became the basis for the church’s special veneration of Mary in light of God’s selection of her from all humanity. The second is the basis of inspiration that we can imitate Mary’s yes to God in our lives. It is for this reason that the church has always held Mary in high esteem. The Second Vatican Council continued that esteem when it identified her as the Mother of the Church and a model for every Christian