25/03/2025
MARCH 25, 2025 | the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
Today, the Church joyfully celebrates the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, a feast that marks the moment when the angel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary that she would conceive the Son of God.
The Annunciation is beautifully narrated in the Gospel of Luke (1:26-38). The angel Gabriel is sent by God to a young woman named Mary, who is betrothed to Joseph. Gabriel greets her with the words, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you." Mary is initially troubled by this greeting, but the angel reassures her, saying, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God." He reveals that she will conceive a child, Jesus, who will be called the Son of the Most High. In response to the angel's message, Mary humbly accepts her role, saying, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word"