The Christian feast of the Annunciation takes place on March 25—exactly 9 months before Christmas—and celebrates the announcement of the divine motherhood of the Virgin Mary by the archangel Gabriel. This biblical episode is recounted in the Gospels and represents one of the founding mysteries of the Christian faith: that of the incarnation of God as man, through his son Jesus Christ.
Discover the meaning and celebration of this great Marian feast which commemorates the one who gave her "fiat" to the angel, thus becoming the mother of the Savior!
Get to know Mary better by joining this online retreat: /en/community/11534-may-the-month-of-mary/landing
Since the 7th century, the feast of the Annunciation has been one of the great Christian feasts celebrated by Christians in the West. Indeed, on March 25, the Church commemorates the announcement of the divine motherhood of Mary, communicated by the archangel Gabriel. He explains to her that, through the action of the Holy Spirit, Mary will conceive and give birth to Jesus, the Son of God. Christians thus believe that Mary carried the child God in her womb while remaining a virgin.
The Annunciation of the Virgin Mary represents one of the founding mysteries of Christian faith and a great joy, since it is the moment of the divine incarnation: God was made man, starting His human life with Mary, in order to save humanity. Thus, the feast of the Annunciation is a great joy for Christians, because it announces the promise of redemption, which is fully fulfilled by the death and resurrection of Christ.
The date of March 25th derives from the celebration of Christmas, since the Annunciation takes place nine months before the birth of Christ.
The account of the Annunciation is given to us in the Bible by the evangelist Saint Luke: “In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” [...] But the angel said to her: “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” [...] (Luke 1:26-38)
Every year, we hear this story on Annunciation Day, March 25. In addition, we find in the prayers of the Hail Mary or the Angelus, the words of the angel to Mary.
/en/community/9003-my-month-with-mary/landing
Here is an excerpt from the homily of Pope John Paul II in 1986, in which he explains the profound meaning of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary: "The Annunciation profoundly marks the Christian. Mary of Nazareth, the first, received from God a message of salvation; the first, she responded to Him by faith. Like her, every Christian is the man of this message of salvation and the man of this faith. The event that took place in Nazareth opens the new path in which God leads all humanity. What the Annunciation means is, in a sense, the synthesis of all the mysteries that God has willed to the fullness of time, when he enters into the history of man according to the eternal plan of his love.”
The "yes" of the Virgin Mary during the Annunciation thus represents the most perfect cooperation of Man in the divine work and seals a new alliance between God and humanity!
/en/community/7824-thirty-steps-closer-to-mary/landing
"Our Lady who, by your "Yes” changed the face of the world, take near you those who want to say “yes” forever. You know the price of this word, do not let us shrink from what it requires of us; teach us to say it like you, in humility, simplicity and surrender to the will of the Father. Ask your son, Jesus, that our daily “yes” serves more perfectly the Will of God for our happiness and that of the whole world. Amen.”
Blessed Charles de Foucauld (1858-1916)
By her "yes" to God's plan during the Annunciation, Mary becomes the mother of the Savior and allows all humanity to be redeemed from death and sin! At the foot of the cross, Mary also becomes our mother: thus, let us fervently pray to her to follow the path she traces before us!
Follow the proposals of novena and retreats on Hozana to follow in the footsteps of the Virgin Mary: