Feast of the Annunciation : “Let it be done to me according to your word”

 

Beloved Sisters and Brothers in Christ, Peace be with you!

Today, the Church celebrates the beginning of a mystery so great, so profound, that heaven itself bent down to communicate salvation’s plan into the ears of a humble virgin. It is the Feast of the Annunciation, a day of divine initiative and human cooperation, when eternity touched time, and God’s “yes” met Mary’s “yes.” In Luke 1:26–38, we hear the angel Gabriel announce the unimaginable to Mary: that she would conceive and bear the Son of the Most High, the Savior of the world.

A Message of Hope in Troubled Times

Angel Gabriel does not arrive at a palace or a temple, but in the simplicity of a small town, Nazareth. This tells us that God meets us where we are, not necessarily where the world esteems greatness. Like Mary, we might feel small, or overlooked. But God's gaze reaches the humble and the hidden.

Angel Gabriel’s first words to Mother Mary : ““Do not be afraid” underline a key truth: God wants us to live with peace of mind. The confusion, wars, economic hardship we experience today in various parts of the world are purely contrary to God’s Will. Like Mary, we can find peace and favor with God if we listen attentively to His Word.

The Courage of Mary’s “Yes”

Mary’s response, “Let it be done to me according to your word,” is a bold, trusting surrender to God’s will. She did not have all the answers. She didn’t know how Joseph would react, how society would treat her, or how she would raise the Son of God. Yet, she said yes.

Her courage wasn’t rooted in self-confidence, but in radical trust, trust in God’s faithfulness, in His power to accomplish what He promises. And so, the Word became flesh, because a woman dared to believe.

Dear Sisters and Brothers, how many of us hesitate to say yes to God’s call because we feel unqualified, unprepared, or afraid of what others might say? Mary teaches us that God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called. All He needs is our “yes.”

 “I Am the Immaculate Conception” : A Confirmation of Grace.

Exactly 164 years ago today, on March 25, 1858, during Mother Mary’s  apparitions to a simple young girl, Bernadette Soubirous, in Lourdes, she finally revealed her name to her in the following words : “I am the Immaculate Conception.” It was a title that confirmed what the Church had solemnly declared just four years earlier in the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, that Mary was preserved from all stain of sin from the first moment of her existence, in view of the merits of Christ.

Why is this important today?

Because grace precedes mission. Before Mary was called to be the Mother of God, she was filled with grace. Before she said “yes,” she was already favored. Likewise, God goes ahead of us. He prepares us for what He asks of us. We are never alone in our calling. Mary’s immaculate heart is the proof of what God’s grace can do in a human life fully surrendered to Him. We see in Mary’s life a fulfillment of what St Paul wrote in Ephesians 1: 4 : “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and Immaculate in His sight, in love”.

Our Call to Announce Christ Today

The Annunciation is not only about Mary’s mission, it is about our mission too. Each of us, in our own circumstances, is called to bear Christ to the world. God sends His “angels”, through Scripture, the sacraments, the voice of conscience, or the needs of others, to announce His will to us. The question is: Are we listening? And when we hear, will we respond like Mary?

Like Bernadette, like Mary, we may feel little or unworthy. But God is not looking for perfection; He is looking for availability. If we, like Mary, open our hearts and say, “Let it be done to me,” then Christ will be born again in our lives, in our families, and in our world.

 

Becoming Bearers of the Word

As we celebrate this great feast, let us renew our trust in God. Let us silence our fears and doubts. Let us allow Mary’s response accompany us in every situation: “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word.”

May Mary, the Immaculate Conception, intercede for us that we too may carry Jesus into the world, in our hearts, in our words, and in our actions.

And may every moment of our lives become a living Annunciation, where God’s Word finds a home in us.

Amen.