Jesus is our Lord and Savior but the Son of God needed a woman to take on our flesh and enter into our lives and our history. Where would we be without Mary, who surrendered to the “plan” of God, a plan that would have happened even without the Fall of Adam and Eve. Yes, God would have taken on our flesh in Christ regardless of the “original sin.” Incarnation simply means to become flesh and this Feast of the Annunciation celebrates the moment Mary said her YES to Gabriel and his announcement of the birth of the messiah.
In plain English, God needed human DNA to receive every aspect of our humanity: body, blood, soul... unity in a marriage of eternal love with the Divine Trinity. Thank God I’ve had my coffee to gradually awaken to what this Feast celebrates. If you are reading this, your feet should be starting to dance, your spirit soaring, your heart beating the rhythm of a joy beyond compare.
The Holy Spirit became the “spouse” of Mary, overshadowing her, allowing the Conception of Jesus to occur at that moment. Put your coffee or drink down and think about what I just wrote. Think about its implications.
A marriage between Mary and the Spirit occurred, the DNA of Mary, no human father, no man, was fused with the Spirit and the most human “being” ever was conceived.
Mary gives us the Motherhood of God, as Jesus revealed his relationship with the Father. She reflects the feminine face of God. Mary is THE woman who gave birth to Jesus, first in her faith, afterwards in her body, giving God the ability to become one of us. Where would we be without Mary and her “yes?”
As we are about to enter into Holy Week, this magnificent Feast begs for us to let go of our Lenten penances in humility and have a wonderful dinner. This Feast calls for a celebration!!!!!
Peace,
Fr. Frank