Celebrating the Annunciation and Incarnation

Endnotes:

1. 
The early church believed that celebrating the Annunciation/Incarnation fit perfectly within the Lenten celebration of sacrifice and mortification. The Catholic Encyclopedia states: “Although in olden times most of the churches kept no feast in Lent, the Greek Church in the Trullan Synod (in 692; can. 52) made an exception in favour of the Annunciation.”    Although I admit that it is possible to arrive at other possible interpretations, I do not see how it would be possible to maintain the position that the early church believed the celebration of the Annunciation and Incarnation interfered with the Lenten celebration or was somehow liturgically unacceptable or  incompatible with this season of self sacrifice.

2.
John 2:4-5
“And Jesus said to her, ‘O woman, what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ ”

 

3.
Personally, I find little consolation in those overly sweet meditations that say how Jesus and Mary stared into each other’s eyes and how they happily drew consolation from one another.  Jesus was going to His death, a very real death.  No son wants to see his mother suffer and cry.  And no mother is going to find earthly consolation with the prospect of her only son going to his death.  To white wash His and her suffering is unrealistic and in my opinion unwise.