25
March 2026 - The Annunciation of the Lord, Solemnity
Mass Readings: Is
7:10-14; 8,10; Ps 40; Heb 10:4-10; Lk 1:26-38
Key Verse to Ponder: Then
Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me
according to your word" (Lk 1:38).
Dear Brothers and Sisters
in the Lord,
Today Holy Mother the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the
Annunciation of the Lord. Amid our Lenten practices, this feast comes as a
message of hope to all of us at a time marked by suffering, the deadly fear of
war, and confusion in the minds of many people. The announcement of the birth
of our Saviour is always a source of hope for fallen humanity. God comes to
enter into dialogue with humankind in order to redeem it.
God spoke to Mary at the fullness of time so that the prophecies foretold
throughout the history of Israel—those spoken to Abraham, Moses, and the
prophets—might be fulfilled in this Annunciation:
"And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will
name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will
reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no
end" (Lk 1:31–33).
Mary and Joseph responded positively to the call of God, though it
initially filled them with fear and trembling. They listened and obeyed; they
allowed the Word of God to enter their lives, to speak through their actions,
and to bear fruit in their destiny.
The First and Second Readings
This feast is placed exactly nine months before the great solemnity of
Christmas. It begins with the miraculous conception of Jesus in the womb of the
Virgin Mary. The Son of God was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit in
the humble Virgin of Nazareth, who found favour with God (Lk 1:28). Jesus is
the fulfilment of all the prophecies (2 Sam 7:12–16; Is 9:6–7; Lk 1:32–33). All
this took place because of Mary's wonderful cooperation with the will of God.
The first reading from the prophet Isaiah tells us about the loss of faith
and hope of King Ahaz when he was surrounded by enemy forces that threatened to
destroy the kingdom. God offered him a sign to reassure him that He would not
abandon His promise to David and his descendants. Yet Ahaz refused to ask God
for a sign. Nevertheless, God promised a greater sign: a Saviour would be born
who would redeem His people with righteousness and peace (Is 7:11ff).
In the second reading, St. Paul emphasizes the obedience of Jesus to the
will of God, through which we are sanctified: "See, God, I have come to
do your will, O God" (Heb 10:7, 9).
The Gospel Reading
In today's Gospel passage we encounter a beautiful scene of dialogue
between God and humanity. We might even say it resembles a kind of sacred
negotiation between God and humankind, in which humanity signs the covenant of
God's love. Mary, representing all humanity before God, accepts and obeys the
divine will.
What God spoke to Mary
was the final and definitive word—the same promise given earlier to Abraham,
Moses, and the prophets. St. Paul explains this beautifully: "In these
last days he has spoken to us by a Son" (Heb 1:2).
"But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a
woman, born under the law" (Gal 4:4).
When humanity sinned and was in need of God's grace, God did not abandon
it. Instead, He loved humanity even more and promised a Saviour who would
redeem and save the world:
"She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save
his people from their sins" (Mt 1:21).
“Here the Word Became Flesh”
When we visit Nazareth, at the Church of the Annunciation—which is believed
to be built over the house of Mary—our attention is drawn to the Latin
inscription on the altar of the lower church: Verbum caro hic factum est,
meaning “Here the Word became flesh.”
When our student group once celebrated Mass in that church and read this
Gospel passage, we proclaimed it as if the angel of the Lord had come to
that very place in Nazareth and greeted Mary there. Indeed, the Word of God
came to that small town in Galilee, and because of Mary's faith-filled
"yes," God's saving plan entered human history in a visible way.
Throughout salvation history, God constantly spoke to His people through
His Word and through the prophets, beginning with Abraham, Moses, and many
others. What stands out is their ability to listen to God's Word and obey it.
They first listened, then obeyed. They allowed the Word of God to enter their
lives, shape their actions, and transform their destiny.
“Here Am I, the Servant of the Lord”
Mary also first listened
to the Word of God and obeyed it completely through her faith and total
surrender to God. From the moment she said "yes," the Word of God
took complete possession of her life: "Here am I, the servant of the
Lord; let it be with me according to your word" (Lk 1:38).
Mary allowed God's Word
to transform her entire life. Before she conceived the Word of God in her womb,
she first conceived the Word in her heart. This is why Jesus later said:
"Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it"
(Lk 11:28).
When Mary first heard the
greeting of the angel, she was deeply troubled and perplexed:
"Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28).
"But she was much perplexed by his words" (Lk 1:29).
The presence of God often
disturbs our lives, because it calls us beyond our comfort and into a deeper
mission.
Mary was not an
exception. Though she was full of grace, she was still a young woman who
experienced fear and uncertainty. God's Word can disturb us because it
challenges us to change.
When Mary asked, “How
can this be, since I am a virgin?” (Lk 1:34), her question was not one of
doubt but of wonder and faith. She believed that God would take care of her
fears and doubts.
God’s Incarnate Word Took Flesh in Mary’s Womb
The angel assured her
that she was not alone: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you"
(Lk 1:35).
Where the Spirit of God
is present, there is freedom (2 Cor 3:17) to respond to God's plan. Mary gave
her fiat trusting completely in God's grace. Thus the Incarnate Word
took flesh in her womb.
When God calls someone
for His mission, He also gives the grace needed to fulfill that mission. Mary
trusted, and therefore she became the Mother of God.
Mary's ‘Yes’ and Our ‘Yes’
It is truly extraordinary that God not only approached Mary but offered His
eternal Son to become her Son. The promise “The Holy Spirit will come upon
you” reveals that a new creation was about to begin.
Just as the Spirit moved over the chaos at the beginning of creation, the
Spirit descended upon Mary to bring forth new life for the world. Mary said: "Here
I am, the servant of the Lord; let what you have said be done to me."
In the Annunciation we see the kind of dialogue that God wishes to have
with each one of us. Mary's "yes" brought about a dramatic
transformation in her life. Likewise, when God enters our lives, it requires a
radical change—a true conversion.
Mary Allowed the Word of God to Replace Everything
The prophets allowed the Word of God to replace their own ideas, and Mary
allowed God's Word to transform her entire life. God's Word often disturbs us
because it calls us to move beyond our limited plans.
The approach of the infinite God always deeply challenges the human person.
Even Mary, though she was "full of grace," was disturbed by God's
presence.
If Mary could be filled with grace, we too can be filled with God's grace
when we listen to His Word and respond with faith.
Points for Personal Reflection
- Can I entrust myself to God's plan with the
same trust as Mary?
- When has God made an "annunciation"
in my life—an invitation to follow Him more closely?
- Did God's call disturb my routine life?
- Do I have the faith of Mary?
Each of us has received a
personal "announcement" from God. Have we responded to it? If not, it
is never too late to say "yes." We can begin today to live more fully
for God and for others.
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