In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, "Hail, favored one! 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. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" And the angel said to her in reply, "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. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God." Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her. (Lk 1:26-38)

As I’ve mentioned before at Sunday Mass, we call December 25 “Christmas” because that was the day of the “Mass” of the Nativity of “Christ,” or “Christ-Mass.” And there is no doubt that the birth of Christ is a time of great rejoicing. But there is another day that should be celebrated with as much solemnity. Scientifically speaking, if Jesus was born on December 25, then he was conceived about nine months earlier. And that’s why the Church singles out March 25 as the Solemnity of the Annunciation – the day when Mary was visited by the angel Gabriel. Is it any wonder why the Church is pro-life? We celebrate the conception of Jesus, which was memorialized in the Gospel passage from Luke, above. And we also celebrate the conception of Mary on December 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. We even recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit when John the Baptist leapt in his mother’s womb.

In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, "Hail, favored one! 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. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" And the angel said to her in reply, "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. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God." Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her. (Lk 1:26-38)

As I’ve mentioned before at Sunday Mass, we call December 25 “Christmas” because that was the day of the “Mass” of the Nativity of “Christ,” or “Christ-Mass.” And there is no doubt that the birth of Christ is a time of great rejoicing. But there is another day that should be celebrated with as much solemnity. Scientifically speaking, if Jesus was born on December 25, then he was conceived about nine months earlier. And that’s why the Church singles out March 25 as the Solemnity of the Annunciation – the day when Mary was visited by the angel Gabriel. Is it any wonder why the Church is pro-life? We celebrate the conception of Jesus, which was memorialized in the Gospel passage from Luke, above. And we also celebrate the conception of Mary on December 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. We even recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit when John the Baptist leapt in his mother’s womb.

The Annunciation is one of the most frequent subjects of artistic representation in the world, and numerous examples come particularly from the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods. Almost all of the great masters of these periods have an Annunciation scene. The figures of the Virgin Mary and the Archangel Gabriel were favorite subjects of Botticelli, Leonardo de Vinci, Caravaggio, Giotto and Ghirlandaio, among many others.

The figures of the Virgin Mary and the Archangel Gabriel represent purity and grace as they each play their role in the Incarnation of Jesus. Scenes depicting the Annunciations are also used to represent the Church’s teaching on Mary’s perpetual virginity, via the announcement by the Archangel Gabriel that Mary would conceive a child to be born the prophet of god.

Because the natural composition of the scene is two parallel figures, the Annunciation is often employed in the decoration of a diptych or tympaneum (a decorated arch above a doorway). In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Annunciation is typically depicted on the Holy Doors (the decorative doorway leading from the nave into the sanctuary).

Frescos depicting this scene have appeared in churches for centuries, and examples abound in a multiplicity of media, ranging from stained glass to mosaic, to relief, to sculpture to oil painting.

Next Thursday we celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation of Mary. The daily Mass at 6:30am will be celebrated with a little more solemnity, and the 8:30am School Mass will be celebrated on Thursday rather than Friday, so that others might be able to celebrate the feast.

As any mother can tell you, a child’s birthday is just the day that the world gets to see him in person for the first time. Her baby was alive in her womb for a long before he was born. Jesus became incarnate in Mary’s womb at the Annunciation. God became man on March 25, not December 25. Let’s get together at Mass to celebrate.