The Annunciation of the Lord
Today we celebrate the day when Jesus is conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Like the feast of the Presentation, today is a shared feast of Mother and Son. This is because we honor Mary’s “fiat” or “yes” to God’s will as well as Jesus’ descent from Heaven to dwell among us. Today, falling 9 months before Christmas celebrates the Virginity and humble resignation of Mary to God's will. In Catholic tradition today is according to legend the date of Adam and Eve's Creation, their disobedience, the devil's fall from Heaven, the parting of the Red Sea and the day Abraham was going to sacrifice Issac as well as Jesus' death because it was believed prophets died on the day of their conception (due to this St. Dismas, the Good Thief is traditionally commemorated today as he died beside Jesus.) Today is also the day Our Lady of Lourdes said to St. Bernadette, "I am the Immaculate Conception!" March 25th is the day in which there is equal day and night hours. Due to this, it is believed this is the day God created night and day. As God first created light on this day, it is on this day that the Light of the World is conceived. Due to Christ inaugurating new beginnings by His most holy coming, today was formally New Year's Day!
Pope Francis has asked that the prayer of Consecration to Mary be renewed each year on this day.
Today is the day the Hail Mary was first uttered and by no better lips than an Archangel! It would be especially good to pray The Angelus, typically prayed at 6, 12 and 6, but especially Noon, pausing work for a moment to pray.
“Whoever shall devoutly recall to me the joy I felt upon uttering the words, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord,” I will most truly show him that I am His Mother, and unfailingly, I will succor him.” –Our Lady to St. Gertrude
Legends relate today as the end of winter and the return of Swallows and thus it is bad luck to bother these birds. When Good Friday coincides with the Annunciation it is deemed Bad Luck. Later lore deemed it unlucky when it fell on Easter instead and indeed many strange happenings did occur when these feasts coincided.
Today is a good day to wear blue for Mary, White for Her purity or Christmas colors as today is a Christmas related feast.
Indulgences: A plenary indulgence is given for visiting a church on the feast of its titular Saint. Any church titled for the Annunciation of the Lord holds a plenary indulgence under the normal conditions (see indulgences section) and for praying the creed and Our Father once. This indulgence is extended to certain Marian basilicas for certain Marian feast days. For those consecrated to Mary and renew their consecration a plenary indulgence can be gained today. To make this renewal more efficacious see here. For members of the Rosary Confraternity and Living Rosary a plenary indulgence is gained under the usual conditions on this feast.
Annunciation Customs (Seasonal Note: As Spring is now in full swing be careful to check for rabbit nests in your lawn before mowing or weed wacking.)
The Explanation of the Hail Mary
Spot of the Annunciation Live Stream
Vegan Waffle Recipe (In Swedish, the name for Lady Day and Waffle are similar so waffles are typically eaten today.)
The Golden Legend: The Annunciation
St. Gertrude Annunciation Devotions
Christmas Movies for the Annunciation (See also The Star, Mary of Nazareth and any films depicting the Birth or life of Christ. For apologetics about the Virginal Conception of Christ see the Christmas post and in defense of Mary's Immaculate Conception see the Immaculate Conception post)
The Golden Hail Mary which Our Lady revealed to St. Mechtilde
The revelation:
“My daughter, I want you to know that no one can please me more than by saying the salutation which the Most Adorable Trinity sent to me, and by which raised me to the dignity of Mother of God. By the word Ave, I have learned that in His power God has preserved me from all sin and its attendant misery which the first women has been subject to. The name Mary which means ‘Lady of Light’ shows God has filled me with wisdom and light, like a shining star, to light up heaven and earth. The words full of grace remind me that the Holy Spirit has showered so many graces upon me that I am able to give these graces in abundance to those who ask for them through me a Mediatrix. When people say The Lord is with thee, they renew the indescribable joy that was mine when the Eternal Word became incarnate in my womb. When you say Blessed art thou among women, I praise Almighty God’s divine mercy which has lifted me to this exalted plane of happiness. And at the words Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus, the whole of heaven rejoices with me to see my Son Jesus Christ adored and glorified for having saved mankind.”
The Prayer:
“HAIL, Mary, in union with that reverence wherewith God the Father greeted thee with Ave, and by His omnipotence delivered thee from every woe and sin. Hail, Mary, in union with that love wherewith the Son of God enlightened thee with His wisdom, and made thee a softly-shining star, lighting up Heaven and earth. Hail, Mary, in union with that sweet unction of the Holy Ghost, wherewith He so pervaded thee and made thee so full of grace, that everyone who through thee seeketh grace doth find it. Call to mind now that unspeakable operation wherewith the whole most Blessed Trinity wrought in thee, when human flesh taken from thy substance was so united to the Divine Nature that God was made man and man became God, and thy whole soul was suffused with a sweetness and a gladness which the heart of man cannot conceive. And therefore every creature with rapturous admiration doth acknowledge and confess that thou art blessed and incomparably exalted above all creatures in Heaven or on earth, and blessed the Fruit of thy womb, even Jesus, who quickens, sanctifies, and blesses all things for ever. Amen.”
References: Encyclopedia of Easter, Carnival and Lent by Tanya Gulevich
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