For almost a thousand and a half years, the Church has been celebrating the Incarnation of the Son of God on March 25, as well as the vocation of Our Lady, the Mother of God, who, through an angel, knew God's will concerning herself. Through Her fiat ("let it be") the work of our Redemption was accomplished.
The Solemnity of the Annunciation, both in ancient times and now, is considered a feast of the Lord. However, the liturgical readings recall the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the feast itself has been regarded as a feast of the Theotokos for a number of centuries. Church Tradition notes the correspondence between Eve, the mother of all living and, at the same time, the cause of the sin brought about by her disobedience, and Mary, the Mother of redeemed humanity, who brought his Life, our Lord Jesus Christ, into the world.
The date of celebration - March 25 - was set based on the date of Christmas. In addition, according to ancient tradition, the day of the vernal equinox was associated with the creation of the world, as well as the beginning and completion of the work of its redemption: the Incarnation, Death and Resurrection of the Lord. The Evangelist Luke tells us about the greatest event of the Incarnation of God into human nature with captivating simplicity: In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to the city of Galilee, called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David; and the name of the virgin was Mary (Luke 1:26-27).
The image of the Most Holy Mother of God has long been imprinted in popular piety, in prayerful concentration receiving the Messenger sent to her: Hail, Most Gracious One! The Lord is with you. Mary was embarrassed to hear these words, but Her embarrassment had nothing to do with confusion. She knew the Holy Scriptures well, like all Jews who had received religious education as children. She was also distinguished by her great spiritual discernment, clear mind, deep faith, fervent love, and abundant gifts of the Holy Spirit. For this reason, she immediately grasped the essence of the mission of the messenger of God, and in her heart she was immediately ready to fulfill all the demands of God.
For his part, the angel reassured her and revealed to her the intentions of God concerning her, in other words, her vocation: "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found grace with God; and behold, you will conceive in the womb and bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father; and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.
The Annunciation reveals to Mary Her ministry, Her role in the world, the meaning of Her existence. The Annunciation enlightened Her in a perfect way. Her own life was revealed to Her in a new light. She was able to realize Her exceptional destiny in the history of mankind. Through all that had happened, Mary had been finally joined to the mystery of Christ.
Vocation is not so much our choice as it is God's choice of us. We recognize it through many circumstances, examining them with a believing, pure and upright heart. It is not necessary that our calling or our role in the fulfillment of divine plans be so large and brilliant. It is enough that God wants to use us, as well as that He expects us to help Him.
Mary's response to her vocation - fiat - is even more decisive than a simple "yes". It implies a total surrender to the Lord God: from now on and for the rest of her life, she wants only what He wants. The culmination of the fiat now sounded will be Golgotha: there, under the cross, the Blessed Virgin, together with her Son, will offer her last sacrifice. The "yes" that the Lord demands of each of us - on the path of our own vocation - is heard throughout our lives, through all events, great and small. With it are also connected new appeals to us from God, to which it is always necessary to answer with "yes." Previous calls and previous yeses prepare the subsequent ones.
The "Yes" once said to Jesus will not allow us to be overconfident. On the contrary, we will be very careful not to miss the Lord's address to us, who shows the way to His chosen ones. In our loving response, human free will and the will of God are in perfect harmony and form an indissoluble unity. Each of us should discuss with God alone what He wants from us. Let us pray to the Blessed Virgin Mary for insight into the essence of our own vocation, for the granting of a deep and sincere desire for it. Let us also pray for the outpouring of light from above, so that we can respond to every call of God. May our response to God in every situation sound as decisive and irrevocable as Mary's response on the day of the Annunciation, for vocation alone gives life meaning and determines its purpose.
Based on F. Carvajal's book "In Communion with God" cf. https://catholickemerovo.ru/.
