Anyone who feeds a family can relate to the excitement of receiving a free frozen turkey when your grocery bill is past a certain threshold.
Turkey dinner is not only my favourite dinner, but with it come many subsequent meals in the form of stews, soups, and sandwiches. Turkey with “all the fixings” feeds our family for days.
A few years ago, I received a bonus turkey just before Christmas, but since I wasn’t hosting Christmas dinner, I tucked it away in our freezer. During the March break, when I had some extra time, I decided to defrost it along with frozen cranberries, mash up some potatoes, and make a nice meal, and leftovers.
While chatting with a friend she exclaimed, “Oh, you’re cooking a Christmas dinner for the Annunciation!”
Looking at the calendar I realized she was correct. It was indeed March 25 – nine months before Christmas, when we recall the Angel Gabriel’s announcement that Mary was called to be the mother of our Lord.
I could have pretended I had intentionally planned the meal and date timing, but I admitted that it was merely a happy coincidence. In the years since, though, I have tried to do something to commemorate the Annunciation.
Why do we Catholics acknowledge the Annunciation in such a special way? My children always knew when this solemnity fell during the Lenten calendar because it meant a day of video games or treats that they had otherwise given up! More than just a “day off Lent” or a date to use up the frozen turkey, however, this Solemnity reminds us of Mary’s “yes “to God and the need for our own “yesses” throughout our daily lives.
Author Elizabeth Scalia, a Benedictine Oblate, writes, “we make a point of remembering this day because this single moment of encounter between the young Mary and a messenger of the Almighty contains within it the first and foremost lesson of Christianity, the one around which every other lesson whirls: Our salvation hinges upon our consent to being saved. And this is a consent that must be given over and over again, day-by-day, sometimes minute-by-minute.”
Protestant friends have expressed that they have already been saved because of Jesus’ sacrifice and triumph over death. While I agree that Jesus offers salvation for everyone, Catholics also believe that we need to accept – consent to – this invitation. God desires relationship with each of us and sent Jesus in bodily form to make this relationship tangible and more understandable, but this was never meant to be one-sided.
Like any relationship, our union with God is only complete when both parties enter it. God wants our “yes” to enter that relationship; if he didn’t, he wouldn’t have sent his son to live, suffer, die, and rise for us. However, if our hearts and minds are closed, or we refuse this gift by living a life of our own choosing – ignoring or failing to consider the paths to which God leads us – we are not truly accepting the ultimate gift being offered to us.
Choosing once, however, isn’t a done deal. We must continually examine our consciences and pray in faith to trust in God and follow God’s will throughout our lives.
Thankfully, we have multiple opportunities to say “yes.” When we misstep, we can seek reconciliation. When we miss opportunities, we have the chance to choose again.
Mary, a young girl with free will, undoubtedly surprised by Gabriel, ultimately chose to accept God’s invitation. Easy or not, her “yes” was not only important for her, but it brought Christ to the world; therefore, her “yes” was also necessary for our salvation. Our “yes” is critical, as well.
Scalia illustrates this point by quoting a sermon from St. Augustine: “God created us without us, but he will not save us without us.”
Any time we pray the Hail Mary, the Rosary, or the Angelus, may we recall Mary’s all-important consent and remind ourselves that we, too, are called into a relationship with God.
Even if we don’t “haul out” a turkey on March 25, let us ponder the significance of this feast – this celebration in the midst of Lent – and remind ourselves of the need to actively participate in our own salvation, each and every day.
