by Mali Farnsworth

Created on: March 09, 2009

The significance of the Feast of the Annunciation is that of God's promise, fervent prayer, and subsequent hope made real.
While we sinners cannot hope to give physical birth to Christ, if we pray in true humility, if we hope, staying firm in Faith, Our Lord God will gift us with the life of Christ in our souls. The key here is the understanding that 'Christ' is God's gift. Undeserved. Freely given. A reward for embracing truth, the truth that we, of ourselves, are nothing.

All we have, all we can hope for that is good comes from God. Even our prayers are without merit, save for that given them by Our Lord's infinite charity.

Our Lady knew this. Being sinless, full of Grace, her mind was and still is uncluttered by self-interest from the moment of conception.

Before the pronouncement by the Angel Gabriel that she was to become the Mother of God, Our Lady prayed for the coming of the Messiah. Yes, this Most Pure Virgin, educated in the Temple well versed in Jewish law and scripture, knew the Messiah was to be born.

She knew He would live, suffer, and die as well. She understood completely and with the purest Faith that a Virgin would mother this Child. She also knew that she was a Virgin.

And yet, just as Jesus Christ, our most perfect model, Mary demonstrates the ultimate humility in praying, not that she should be that mother. Mary, knowing again that all goodness comes from God and has no basis in our own merits, prayed that she should be made the servant of said mother.

The divine maternity that resulted from that angelic visit was a gift!

Our Lady's 'yes' was her gift, not to God, for doing God's will was and is her duty. Mary's 'yes' was her gift to us. That's right. The Annunciation is God's gift combined with Mary's. Paired together, they rendered life to the world in the form salvation by Jesus Christ.

This is not said to lessen the power of God or raise Mary to the level of the divine. Oh, no. Mary is a creature, just as we are. That said, Mary could well have said no. Had she not been Immaculate, that is sinless by Divine decree, I would not dare to think of the world today. Likely it would be a world without Jesus Christ.

God in His infinite wisdom, however, created Mary, a creature, yes, but a sinless pure creature who could see Him for what He is - God. All good. All Holy. Worthy of all praise.

Knowing this, Mary couldn't help but pray for the Messiah to come. She yearned for His coming like no other, needing God to be glorified and mankind to be saved from unmitigated folly. Her love was so strong, her will so pure, it drew Christ from the bosom of the Father, just as our earnest prayers, wounding Our Lord with love, draw Him into our souls.

This is the mystery of the Annunciation, the mystery of God's word, His Promise, made flesh. Mary has already given her 'yes' to God. She gave us Jesus Christ.

Now, it's our turn.

The fruit we are called to bear is Christ. The sufferings we must endure are called life. The reward is eternity. And, through His grace and the intercession of our loving Mother who gave all so that we could have all, we too shall be called blessed!

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