By Frances Dolores (EWTN) Mary is asked to say yes to something that has never happened before[…] Mary must walk through darkness, in which she must simply trust the One who called her. Yet even her question — How can this come about? — suggests that Mary is ready to say yes, despite her fears and uncertainties. Mary asks not whether the promise [that she will bear a child, the Son of God] is possible, but only how it will be fulfilled. It comes as no surprise, therefore, when finally she utters her fiat: I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let what you have said be done to me (Luke 1:38). With these words, Mary shows herself the true daughter of Abraham, and she becomes the Mother of Christ and Mother of all believers. Fourteen years ago, Blessed Pope John Paul II delivered these words as part of his homily from the pulpit of the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth: a renowned holy site, long held sacred as the very site of Gabriels visit to Mary. The church has survived almost 2,000 years of war and erosion and undergone numerous renovations, and is now comprised of two levels: an upper main church where Mass is held, and a lower grotto area, believed to be Marys house. This year, His Beatitude Fouad Twal, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, will have the honor of celebrating the Feast of the Annunciation at this magnificent basilica, and EWTN will bring you LIVE coverage of this special mass at 4 a.m. ET, Sunday, March 25 (Encores at noon, 12 p.m. ET, Monday, March 26). The Franciscan Friars of the Eternal Word would also like you to join them as they celebrate this special feast day from the Our Lady of Angels Chapel in Irondale, Ala. at 8 a.m. ET, Sunday, March 25; with encores to follow later that day at noon, and again at 6:30 p.m. ET. Also, keep an eye out for the debut of Fr. Lawrence Lews new half-hour special devoted to meditating on the significance of the Feast of the Annunciation, and how we can better emulate Marys fiat in our own lives. This program dedicated to The Feast of the Annunciation airs at 9:30 a.m. ET, Sunday, March 25. It is a blessing for Catholics to be able to model themselves after the woman whom Blessed John Paul II so aptly remembers as the Mother of all believers – a woman who is the embodiment of the humility and faith we need to align our yes to the fiat of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose consent to Gods plan made all the difference.
Posted on: Fri, 21 Mar 2014 00:13:20 +0000
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