It is 25th March 2017. We celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. We celebrate this solemnity each year which falls between the Lenten and Easter season. St. Gabriel, the Archangel brought the Good News to Mary that She would be the Mother of the Son of God. This sacred conversation brought the divinity to be tangible in the person of Christ Jesus. The consent of our Beloved Mother Mary brought the salvation to the humanity that was bruised by the sin. She is not only the Mother of Christ and of each one of us. She fulfilled the will of God by her fiat which means ‘be it done.’ The Catechism teaches us in CCC 484: “The annunciation to Mary inaugurates ‘the fullness of time,’ the time of the fulfilment of God’s promises and preparations. In the entrance antiphon, we acclaim, “The Lord said, as He entered the world: Behold, I come to do your will, O God.” (Heb.10:5,7). At a first glance, it seems out of place during this Lenten time, yet this feast is so intimately linked with the passion, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is because both the feasts of the Annunciation and that of the passion and death of the Lord celebrate the sacrificial offering of God. The readings are from Isaiah 7:10-14, 8:10; the second reading is from Hebrews 10:4-10; and the Gospel from Luke 1:26-38. The first reading presents us with the prophecy of Isaiah that a maiden would give birth to a child whose name be called Emmanuel, one who redeems the people from the slavery of sins. the responsorial Psalm prays, “Here I am, Lord, I come to do your will.” (Ps.40:8,9). In the second reading, we are assured that the single sacrifice of Jesus removes the stain of sins and make us worthy partakers of God’s love. Gospel brings out the scene of annunciation and the affirmation of Mother Mary through one Big Yes just that of the Lord’s Single Yes to the Father in accepting the cup of suffering to secure our salvation. Lent is the time to bring our affirmation by saying Yes to God and no to Evil One. May God bless us and let us continue to celebrate our salvation through our consistent affirmation to God in our daily living. Have a good day.

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