And Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no husband?” And the angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.” (
Luke 1:34-35)
Today marks the great feast of the Annunciation of Our Lady, the day when the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to announce that she would be the Mother of God. After the angel’s solemn greeting: “Hail, Full of Grace,” Mary’s privileged place in the history of salvation is secured by her
fiat, and in a matter of moments she has become the Mother of God.
Because of the sublime nature of this day, March 25th marked the first day of the calendar year for centuries, and Our Lady’s Annunciation is the subject of an untold number of poems, mosaics, plays, motets, canvases and cantatas. In his commentaries, St. Thomas Aquinas treats the text of the Annunciation with reverence and awe, but with customary thoughtfulness also dedicates a portion of the discussion to the less celebrated figure of Joseph, who also receives a message from an (unnamed) angel. Thomas reminds us that in the midst of this unprecedented and epic event, Joseph had a moment of testing and doubt as the facts began to unfold. This, Thomas says, was for our benefit so that we could know in moments of doubt and temptation that the one who was entrusted to be the guardian of the Son of God understood the experience of being confounded before the mysteries of God.
When the path upon which we journey seems to wind off course or our path appears dark and uncertain, Thomas reminds us that Joseph is there to be a light to our path as we strive to carry out the Father’s will for each one of us. May we along with Mary, Joseph and the saints who celebrate this day in the celestial realm, trust in the Lord’s plan and magnify the Lord with our lives.
St. Dominic, singularly devoted to our Blessed Lady, Pray for us!
