From all eternity, the Almighty has in mind a plan of salvation for all humanity, and the hinge, the foundation, of this plan was to be a humble virgin. It was to be her acceptance that would enable the divine plan to be realised. There is no doubt, God's thoughts are mysterious, and it would be a very rash person who sought to understand or to explain them completely. The fact is that God became incarnate through the cooperation of Mary.
The reading today tell us of the unfolding of this grand plan. For centuries it had been spoken of by the Prophets. In the passage the Old Testament, we read how Isaiah advised King Ahaz to look to God for support rather than to political alliances. He goes on to state that a sign would be given to him assuring him that his kingdom would survive; namely, that a child, a descendant of the House of David, would be born of a virgin.
The responsorial psalm explains the purpose of this mysterious birth; in this child, the work of the Heavenly Father would be brought to fulfillment in the sacrifice that would be offered for the salvation of all people.
The Letter to the Hebrews makes clear that Christ is the child who has come on earth for no other reason than to carry out the will of God the Father. Just as the purpose of every Christian life must be to carry out the will of God the Father.
The Gospel explains how this grand, mysterious plan is to be carried out. In the beginning, there is the Invitation. However, instead of putting before Mary an authoritarian offer that she could not refuse, the Lord first let her know what was expected of her. The conversation that took place between Mary and the angel Gabriel shows her gradual understanding of the strange request and the need for her personal consent. Mary freely agreed to the Divine invitation.
Each of us, too, receives a similar invitation to join in the work of salvation. In the first place, it is our personal salvation that we seek; but we must also interest ourselves in the salvation of others. For us, as with Mary, the work of salvation cannot commence until we say "yes". Every Christian vocation is a gradual discovery of the call that the Lord is constantly giving us. To respond generously, day after day, constitutes Christian living. Here we find in Mary a perfect model. The annunciation gives us a perfect example of how God acts with people - the invitation, the consent, the partnership.
God chose a young Jewish girl to set in motion His plan of salvation. But she had complete freedom to accept or to refuse. To each of us the same invitation is given with the same freedom to accept or to refuse. "Come follow me" is the invitation that has been given. Are we capable of accepting it? Without our "yes", Christ cannot become part of our lives. That is why, on this feast given to us to honor the Mother of God, we ask her for help in making this very important decision.
Let us pray -
Hail Mary full of grace,the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.Amen......