If an angel appeared to you and announced news that caught you off guard, how would you react? I wonder how I would respond.
The feast of the Annunciation is on March 25, nine months before Christmas, when the Church celebrates Mary’s vocation and the Incarnation. When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, she was surprised and full of wonder. Mary did not need time to prepare her body, mind, and heart for receiving the Holy Spirit. Her whole life was spent in union with God, as she herself was born without original sin. She was ready. It was her faithful response to the angel’s message, her fiat, that began the work of redemption.
Dominican spiritual writer Father Luis de Granada said, “When God decided to create the first man, he first took care to create a fitting environment for him, which was the Garden of Eden. It makes sense, then, that when God made ready to send his Son, the Christ, he likewise prepared for him a worthy environment, namely, the body and soul of the Blessed Virgin.”
When my husband and I found out that I was pregnant, we were overjoyed. I can only imagine how Mary might have felt at the news that she would be carrying a child — especially since it wasn’t just any child, but the Son of God.
There was a mixture of feelings for me: fear, joy, and excitement as I began a new life. Becoming a family of three was a change that made me realize how important it was to prepare my body, mind, and heart for motherhood. Mary must have felt fearful because she was unwed, betrothed, and pregnant. At the same time, she must have felt joy to be chosen as the Mother of God.
It was with patience and prayer that I could trust in God’s plans for our family. Mary’s “yes” to God was a beacon of faith to me. In my pregnancy, I started to pray for my unborn child to be healthy and happy. I began to take more care of my physical, mental, and spiritual health as my unborn child needed the best environment to develop and grow.
I remember thinking that so many women have gone through this same journey. This thought made me feel connected to the whole of humanity, which made me excited to be a co-creator with the Master Creator.
“Without Christ, life has no meaning… it is only through Christ that we will come to comprehend our inner self and everything that matters most to us: the hidden value of pain and of work well-done, the authentic peace and joy which surpass natural feelings and life’s uncertainties, the delightful prospect of our supernatural reward in our eternal homeland.” (From Conversations with Christ, Daily Meditations, Volume Six)
The feast of the Annunciation honours both Jesus and Mary. In Conversations with God, Volume Six, St. Thomas Aquinas said God could have chosen any other way to redeem human nature, but he chose to link Jesus with humanity. Our God became flesh in order to save us. This is deep and mysterious.
Jesus will forever remain both man and divine because of the conception that Mary accepted. How amazing is this!
Throughout my pregnancy, I journalled notes to my baby in hopes that she would enjoy reading what I was doing in preparation for her birth one day. More than words, I began to take action in getting ready to welcome our child into our family. We bought a crib, rocking chair, and diaper changing table. We chose colourful paintings and collected books for her shelf. I kept copies of some of my favourite classic books, like Little Women and The Secret Garden.
Mary prepared for the birth of Jesus by praising God for choosing her, a humble servant. She then travelled to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who was also expecting, to help and support her.
I anticipated meeting my daughter for the first time. When she was born, I never knew how much my heart could grow in overflowing love for her and my husband. Family life has become what matters most to me, and reflecting on the Holy Family — the forever family — gives perfect examples of how to love.
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