The Annunciation - Season of Joy

...And coming to her, he said,

“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”

But she was greatly troubled at what was said

and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.

Then the angel said to her,

“Do not be afraid, Mary,

for you have found favor with God.

Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,

and you shall name him Jesus. ...

Have you ever held your breath waiting for someone to reply, hoping almost desperately that they will say yes to something that you ask them to do? Well, back in the 12th century, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux imagined the Archangel Gabriel waiting desperately for the Blessed Virgin Mary to respond to God's proposal that she become the mother of his child.

In a homily, Bernard said the following: “You have heard of Virgin that you will conceive and bear a son. The angel awaits an answer. It is time for him to return to God who sent him. We too are waiting, O Lady, for your word of compassion. The price of our salvation is offered to you. We shall be set free at once if you consent. Tearful Adam, with his sorrowing family, begs this of you O loving Virgin, in their exile from paradise. Abraham begs it, David begs it, all the other holy patriarchs — your ancestors — ask it of you as they dwell in the country of the shadow of death. This is what the whole world waits for, prostrate at your feet. It is right in doing so, for on your word depends comfort for the wretched, indeed, salvation for all the children of Adam and Eve, the whole of your race. Answer quickly O Virgin. Reply, in haste to the angel, or rather through the angel to the Lord. Answer with a word, receive the Word of God. Speak your own word, conceive the divine Word. Why do you delay? Why are you afraid? Let humility be bold. Let modesty be confident. This is no time for simplicity to forget prudence. In this matter alone O prudent Virgin, do not fear to be presumptuous. Though modest silence is pleasing, dutiful speech is now more necessary. Open your heart to faith O blessed Virgin, your lips to praise, your womb to the creator. See, the Desired of all Nations is at your door knocking to enter.”

And then, it is as though Saint Bernard breaths a sigh of relief along with Gabriel as he quotes Mary's response: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done to me, according to your word.” With those words, Mary said “Yes” to God and God's plan to save the human race from the sin and death which entered the world because another woman and her husband said “No” to God. Mary's obedient “yes,” overcomes the disobedient “no” of our ancestral parents.

Let's imagine again that moment of Mary's “yes” to God. At that moment, a new life was conceived in her womb. And little by little, cell by cell, this new life developed into a little baby who would be born in a stable and placed in a manger. Years ago, on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, I visited the beautiful Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth, where tradition has it, Mary said “yes,” and Jesus was conceived. One of my most vivid memories is celebrating Mass with our group of pilgrims. Just a short distance from the Altar is the spot where the Annunciation took place. It's marked by a stone on which are carved the words: “Verbum caro HIC factum est.” That's Latin for, “the Word was made flesh HERE.” As I celebrated Mass, I couldn't help thinking that there, in that spot, the Word first took flesh so that here on the Altar, He could take flesh again. The Annunciation is a very Eucharistic feast. At the Last Supper, Jesus could not have said, “This is my body, this is my blood,” and then offered himself on the cross for the salvation of the world the next day, had he not first taken flesh in the womb of the woman who said “yes” to God. And now we parts, or members of the Body of Christ, are called to say “yes” to God and to bring Jesus into the world.

At World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany, in the year 2005, in his homily at the closing Mass, Pope Benedict talked about the transformation that occurs when we say “Amen” and receive the body of Christ. He said, “The body and blood of Christ are given to us so that we ourselves will be transformed in our turn. We are to become the body of Christ. His own flesh and blood.” Did you catch that? We are to become Christ's own flesh and blood in the world today. Only that way will sin be overcome. Only in that way, is the knot of death undone. And it's all because of one woman's affirmative response to God's request that came to her through an angel. Thank you, Mother Mary, for saying “yes.” And please help me — help us — to do the same. One day at a time.