Annunciation to the Virgin
Mary
Today, April 7, the
Armenian Church celebrates the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary. This feast day
is one of five devoted to the blessed mother of Jesus Christ, and the first
such feast to arise in a given year. It concerns the defining event of Mary’s life:
her realization that she had been chosen by God to be the mother of His Son.
The announcement came by
way of the angel Gabriel, and it troubled Mary at first. But Gabriel tried to
allay her fears: “Behold,” he told her, “you shall conceive and bring forth a
son, and call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and be called the Son of the
Highest…and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”
In her youthful sweetness
and innocence, Mary asked the angel how this could ever come to pass. Gabriel’s
reply—“With God, nothing shall be impossible”—is one of our greatest
expressions of Christian hope. And Mary’s reply is equally great for the
example it sets for all people who sense God’s hand in their lives: “Behold the
handmaid of the Lord; let it be unto me according to thy word.”
Nine months later, her son
was born—and with him, the hope of the world’s redemption. It’s worth noting
that the Armenian Church’s fixed date for the Annunciation, April 7, comes
exactly nine months before the Armenian Church’s fixed date for the celebration
of Christmas, January 6.
The entire touching story
is told at Luke 1:26-38. Click on the following links to read more about St.
Mary, and to view a brief video.
Hiç yorum yok:
Yorum Gönder
Not: Yalnızca bu blogun üyesi yorum gönderebilir.