By Hugh McNichol
Op/Ed

On Sunday as Catholics we celebrated the event that announces Jesus birth to Mary. An event of such high importance and significance that God sent an angelic messenger, Archangel Gabriel to communicate this great event to Mary and to the world.

The Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord is not just an event that was rooted in the historical visit of Gabriel to Mary. The event of the Annunciation has been continuously proclaimed since Mary uttered her response of ,"Fiat!"

The total suplication of the Blessed Mother to the Divine Will of God is the paramount example of a faithful relationship to what is physically and spiritually unknown.

Our Catholic faith constantly calls us to renew our response of "Fiat!". when it comes to following the will of God. Faith grows in us as we open ourselves more honestly and openly to the presence of God in our hearts and lives.

Our development in faith is like the Virgin Mother's...at first unsure in which direction to take.

However certain is the commitment to take a direction and follow the will of God.

The Annunciation along with Mary's acceptance of God's plan gives us the first manifestation of, the Word become flesh and dwelling among us. Mary's faith in essence preshadowed the first Eucharist as she willingingly and openly accepted the Lord Jesus into her heart and body in the form of the Incarnation.

One of the most awesome aspects of this total acceptance by Mary is the mingling of heaven and earth, God with man, eternity with the finite.

The Church recognizes this powerful union in it's liturgy. During the reciting of the Creed...at the words, "and became man." all faithful genuflect in reverence for this kairotic moment of union with the Divine. One other time during the Church's liturgical year is this genuflection inserted into the Creed...at the time of the birth of the Messiah at Christmas.

Two moments of supplication at the two moments when the Word becomes Flesh. I cannot think of a better manner with which to show reverence to the mystery of the Incarnation than a genuflection.

The message of Gabriel continues to reveal itself in our daily theological lives. We constantly pursue a deeper understanding of God, strive towards deeper faith in Jesus Christ and His Church, and make our pilgrimage towards union with Him and eternal life.

During the sojourn the echoes of Mary's,"Fiat" resound throughout all of human history to serve as the example of ultimate faith. Frequently along this way there are times that we cannot hear Mary's response. It is obscured by our secular lives, buzzed out by secularism and materialism and countless other distractions. We as Catholic's need to hear the Word, not only in our ears, but hear it in our hearts. In cardia...there are no distractions and no obstructions just the manifestation of the Father's Love in Christ Jesus.

Every day the Angel Gabriel asks us to commit to an unseen God, and accept Jesus in our hearts.

Every day our answer as Mary's should be...FIAT.

Contact

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http://verbumcarofactumest.blogspot.com  DE, US
Hugh McNichol - author, 302 6339348

Email

hugh.mcnichol@trinettc.com

Keywords

Fiat