4/8/2013 – Monday - The Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord – Luke 1:26-38

       Normally, we celebrate the Annunciation on March 25^th, which is exactly 9 months before Christ’s birth on Christmas.  However, since March 25 fell on the Monday of Holy Week this year, the Solemnity of the Annunciation was moved to April 8 in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Church.   The angel Gabriel greets Mary in the Gospel of Luke: “Hail, full of grace!  The Lord is with you!”  St. Gregory of Palamas, a monk at the monastery of Mt Athos in Greece in the 14^th century, interprets this not as Gabriel foretelling the future by greeting Mary with the words “The Lord is with you!”  Rather, Gregory of Palamas sees the Angel Gabriel as declaring what he saw happening in Mary at that present moment, perceiving both human and divine gifts of grace in the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Gabriel saw that Mary had already received to dwell within her the Son of God, the one from whom all treasures of grace flow.  Though we honor the entire community of saints and ask for its intercessions & prayers, none of the other saints can be magnified with the surpassing glories that have been received by Mary, the Mother of our Lord. 

         In the year 431, the Council of Ephesus declared Mary to be the Theotokos, literally translated from the Greek as the “God bearer.”  Mary was chosen specifically by God for this honor not because of anything she perfected in herself, but because she was “full of grace”.  Mary was fully welcoming of God’s will for her.  Likewise, Mary was fully prepared to be the Mother of God, the God bearer, by God’s abundant love within her.  As the Mother of God, Mary has a special place in the history of salvation. But, we must not forget that Mary is also truly the first apostle, the first follower of Jesus. Mary is an example and role model for us all. 

         In the midst of our glorious Easter season, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord today. And as we celebrate the Lord’s resurrection and the salvation that he brings, we must acknowledge that the resurrection is not the end of our story and not the end of his story either.  Rather, today’s Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord by the Angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary announces that Jesus has opened up a whole new life for humanity.   We are called to respond as the Virgin Mary responded – “Here I am Lord – I have come to do your will.”