The Feast of the Annunciation

Today’s feast is my favorite feast day in the entire Church year!  Today we celebrate the moment that God entered history, the moment that the Word became Flesh and dwelt among us, the moment that our salvation begun.  What an awe-inspiring moment to contemplate!  And while this certainly is grand and reason to rejoice, I’ve always loved the Feast of the Annunciation particularly because of the very real, very tangible role a lowly young woman played in the salvation of the world.  Mary’s humble acceptance of what God was asking of her enabled salvation to be won for all mankind!  Her simple “yes” caused her womb to become the very first tabernacle where God’s dearly beloved Son took up residence and was nurtured and protected.  When I contemplate Mary and her role in the Incarnation, I am reminded of the irreplaceable role that God has called each and every one of us to in his plan of salvation.  I, a lowly young woman, have an irreplaceable role to play in God’s plan.  And I live this role by a simple, humble “yes” to him each day by waking up and being faithful to the duties he has called me to right here, right now.  I’m sure Mary had no clue when she said “yes” to the angel Gabriel what the result of her “yes” would be.  In a similar way, I’m sure that God uses each of us in many more ways than we can see as we humbly say “yes” to Him each day.

This year in particular I’ve been struck by the role of St. Joseph in all of this.  Not only did God have an irreplaceable role for Mary to play; he also had an irreplaceable role for St. Joseph.  St. Joseph’s humble “yes” to the role of Protector and Provider that God was asking of him enabled Mary to live the vocation God was asking of her.  St. Joseph took a huge leap of faith when he embraced God’s will for him to take Mary as his wife into his home when he knew he was not the father of her child – a cause for utter public humiliation!  And yet, his immediate and unquestioning obedience to God in all things is what ultimately protected this lowly virgin and her child.  His role was so different than that of Mary’s, yet equally important!  St. Joseph, pray for us that we might say “yes” to the Lord and live the irreplaceable role he has called us to!


Sarah Houde