Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
April 8, 2024

Today’s Readings:

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/040824.cfm

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Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
in holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight.
Then I said, ‘As is written of me in the scroll,
behold, I come to do your will, O God.

Hebrews 10:5-7; cf: Psalm 40:7-9

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On this Feast of the Annunciation, we remember Mary’s choice to love the world according to the manner of God. It was not a choice she made for the first time during the angel’s visit. Mary had always lived her young life patterned on grace and fidelity. Therefore, she was ready when the angel offered her the choice that changed the world.

Today, in God’s Lavish Mercy:

As human beings, we may be inclined to think of “God’s Will” as a pre-ordained pattern for our lives – rather like a document that, if we could get hold of it, we could follow exactly to achieve salvation. We may even mistakenly think that it is God’s Will that we, or our sisters and brothers, suffer.

We might ask ourselves instead, “What is God’s Will, really?”. The life of Christ, reflected in the Gospel, tells us this: God’s Will is Love. So when Psalm 40 interprets Mary’s Fiat as ” … behold, I come to do Your Will…”, what we might understand is this:

Your Will, O God, is Love.
I open my heart to be your Love in the world,
in whatever pattern your grace may come to me,
whether it be through the joys or the sorrows
of the human condition.

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Poetry: Fiat – Robert Morneau

On her bed of doubt,
in wrinkled night garment,
she sat, glancing with fear
at a golden shaft of streaming light,
pondering perhaps, "Was this
but a sequel to a dream?"
The light too brief for disbelief,
yet its silence eased not her trembling.
Somehow she murmured a "yes"
and with that the light's love and life
pierced her heart
and lodged in her womb.
The room remained the same
- rug still need smoothing
- jug and paten awaiting using.
Now all was different
in a maiden's soft but firm fiat.

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Music: O Santissima – interpreted by Andrea Montepaone

O sanctissima, o piissima, dulcis Virgo Maria! Mater amata, intemerata, ora, ora pro nobis. Tu solatium et refugium, Virgo Mater Maria. Quidquid optamus, per te speramus; ora, ora pro nobis. Ecce debiles, perquam flebiles; salva nos, o Maria! Tolle languores, sana dolores; ora, ora pro nobis. Virgo, respice, Mater, aspice; audi nos, o Maria! Tu medicinam portas divinam; ora, ora pro nobis.

O most holy, o most loving, sweet Virgin Mary! Beloved Mother, undefiled, pray, pray for us. You are solace and refuge, Virgin Mother Mary. Whatever we wish, we hope it through you; pray, pray for us. Look, we are weak and deeply deplorable; save us, o Mary! Take away our lassitude, heal our pains; pray, pray for us. Virgin, look at us, Mother, care for us; hear us, o Mary! You bring divine medicine; pray, pray for us.