Celebrating the Annunciation and Incarnation
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Annunciation, Restoring the Liturgy.
A Sunday Solution ?
The Annunciation used to be a holy day of obligation and was celebrated by everyone in the universal Church. The goal of this article is to help restore the active participation for the average lay Catholic in his celebration of that all important feast. And it examines the feasibility of moving this feast to a Sunday celebration during Lent. It fits perfectly into that season and it would enhance our observance of Lent by reflecting on the two most perfect examples who sacrificed worldly pleasures to do the will of our heavenly Father. And Jesus and Mary give us the perfect reason for their choice which was out of pure love for the Father.
Introduction – The Necessity of Evangelization for Ourselves and Others
Jesus accepted His mission to teach us the Good
News even while knowing that it would lead Him to the cross.
(See separate web page on
Jesus’ Mission)
Our faith, that He is the Messiah and that His teachings are good, is a gift that we could have never earned. We show our gratitude for that gift by our worship of Him and by our sharing of that life-giving Good News with others who need it as much as we do.
Pope John Paul II proclaimed that this is the time for a new evangelization with the coming of the new millennium. He invited the whole Church to focus on the 2000th anniversary of the coming of the Messiah. This new evangelization did not end with the coming of the year 2001, but rather it is meant to continue throughout this millennium. I believe what John Paul II began here on earth, he is continuing to work toward up in heaven by his prayers to our Savior Jesus Christ.
In obedience to John Paul II’s general instruction Monsignor Anthony LaFemina painted the above Icon. (He also painted one on the Eucharist, which was a theme of the year 2000.)
We are in a
SpringTime of a new evangelization. And the goal of this web page
is to offer suggestions on how we can
...
Tap into that Power.
A time to change, and a time to grow
Change can be painful at times, but if we are going to grow and become better persons it is inevitable. While one might have the talents, wisdom, and graces to handle today’s challenges, tomorrow’s challenges remain unpredictable. There is plenty of reason not to be complacent or presumptuous.
1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for (someone) to devour.”
Studying, meditating, and learning about the truths God has revealed should not be looked upon as a burden to be overcome, but rather as opportunity to grow more deeply into what is the most loving relationship possible for us, our relationship with God.
Most of us celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and graduations. And we have all the more reason to celebrate the important events in the life of Jesus because He is God.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son …”
The mysteries of the Annunciation and Incarnation are like dynamite waiting for us to tap into their awesome power. They offer us the opportunity to grow much more deeply in love with God by meditating on them because they are like spiritual goldmines.
Questions to Consider:
1. How important is the Annunciation/Incarnation and what are the spiritual fruits that can be drawn from it ?
2. What would be the benefits of moving the celebration of the Solemnity of the Annunciation to a Sunday observance, whereas now it is only celebrated on a weekday ?
3. And could the obstacles, such as being “outranked” by the Christological feasts of Lent and Easter, which would tend to prevent the move to Sunday be overcome ?
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Summary
The Annunciation used to be a holy day of obligation and was celebrated by everyone in the universal Church. The goal of this article is to help restore in the lives of the average lay Catholic the active participation in the celebration of that all important feast. And it examines the feasibility of moving this feast to a Sunday celebration during Lent. It fits perfectly into that season and it would enhance our observance of Lent by reflecting on the two most perfect examples of worldly pleasures being sacrificed in order to do the will of our heavenly Father. And these examples of Jesus and Mary of their love for the Father will both motivate us and point us to what will be our source of strength in our own vocations and trials in life.
Sections:
Introduction – The Necessity of Evangelization for Ourselves and Others
Pope John Paul II invited us to enter a new SpringTime of evangelization which focuses on the coming of the Messiah.
The Importance of the Solemnity of the Annunciation/Incarnation
Pope
Benedict XVI
The coming of the Messiah, foretold by the
Prophets, is qualitatively the most important event of all history, on
which it confers its ultimate and full meaning. It is not historical and
political coordinates that condition God's choice, but on the contrary,
the event of the Incarnation that “fills” history with value and
meaning.
(Homily of December 31, 2006)
The Incarnation is the turning point in all of human history. (BC to AD) It is the event over which Satan rebelled against God when over one third of the heavenly hosts were cast into the eternal fire.
Benefits of Increasing our Emphasis on the Annunciation/Incarnation:
The Annunciation is the perfect opportunity to promote the most fundamental truth upon which all Pro-Life ideas are based. It is the ONLY feast in the year that un-mistakenly clarifies when human life begins. It also points to the fact that Life is good, holy and worthy of respect.
We honor Mary precisely because she is united to Christ. And this solemnity shows how intrinsically she is united to God and His plan for our salvation.
This Solemnity of the Annunciation / Incarnation enhances our understanding and participation in making our Lenten sacrifices to God. Instead of just giving external things to God, God desires to have a deeply personal relationship with each of us. Jesus and Mary gave us perfect examples of how we should give our very selves to God.
This feast offers us a perfect opportunity to reflect on how Jesus' coming into the world was the most decisive turning point in all of human history. It is the perfect opportunity for the catechumens to reflect on the significance of Jesus Christ coming into their world, and into their lives, as they contemplate the changes that only He can bring.
Possible
Solution ?
How do we proclaim this powerful message to the
greatest number of Catholics ?
Pope Benedict XVI
“This is why the Annunciation is a Christological feast as well, because it celebrates a central mystery of Christ: the Incarnation.” (BENEDICT XVI ANGELUS on 25 March 2007)
Currently in the Latin Rite the Solemnity of the
Annunciation – recognized as a Marian feast –
is always pushed to a
weekday celebration because it is “outranked” by the Christological
feasts of Lent and Easter. However, if we recognize it as the
Incarnation as well as the Annunciation its Christological aspect is
apparent as Pope Benedict XVI points out above.
A solution for consideration would be to celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation/Incarnation every year on the Sunday closest to March 25, but no later than the Sunday prior to Passion (Palm) Sunday.
Proposed new Name for this Solemnity :
“The
Annunciation to the Virgin Mary and
the Conception of Christ”
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To Continue see
Sections:
Main-Introduction, Importance,
Pro-Life,
Mary,
Lent,
Easter,
and Solution.