Daily Gospel Reflection
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March 25, 2025
The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.
Mary was alone when the angel came. He startled her with an unusual greeting—“Highly favored one”—“full of grace.” Then he explained the meaning of the divine favor already granted her: she was to conceive in her womb and bear the Son of the Most High.
In that moment, the purpose of Mary’s existence was revealed to her. God’s grace had prepared her, freed her to answer “yes.” She knew her calling, and she accepted it. Jesus’ destiny was to define her own life as his mother and helpmate.
The hour of annunciation was quiet but world-changing for Mary and for us. God’s plan was fulfilled through her “yes.” Mary’s womb became the dwelling place of God. “And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn 1:14).
The scene is unique, but Mary, Christ’s mother, is our mother, too. She sets the pattern for us. We, too, have our quiet hours of recognition, consent, and surrender to God’s will. We, too, long to sense our purpose in life and be guided by it. A practical belief in divine providence assures us that the angel of the Lord comes to us daily in the small indications of God’s wish and will, but also in the incisive moments that can dramatically alter the course of our life’s story: a marriage proposal, the offer of a new job, a move to a distant place, the death of a loved one, a cancer diagnosis.
Mary heard and answered the angel. Mary’s fiat, her “let it be done to me,” is also ours whenever we pray the Our Father meaningfully: “Thy will be done.” Pray with us, for us, holy mother of God, that we too may say our “yes” to God, trusting in God’s wise plan.
Prayer
Lord, as we celebrate today the Feast of the Annunciation, help us to recognize the inherent value and dignity of every human life from natural conception to natural death so that we may use our gifts and talents to create a true culture of life in our country and in our world. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Tradition has placed the feast of the Annunciation—the moment when Mary was visited by the angel Gabriel and conceived Jesus in her womb—exactly nine months before Christmas, on March 25. However, it is sometimes moved so that it does not fall during Holy Week, Easter Week, or on a Sunday.
The story of the Annunciation comes to us from the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke. Six months after the conception of John the Baptist, the angel Gabriel visited Mary, who was betrothed to Joseph, but not yet living in his household.
Gabriel greeted Mary by saying, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.” She was confused and troubled, and Gabriel explained, saying, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
Gabriel went on to explain that the Holy Spirit will come upon her, and “the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.”
Mary’s response to this incredible invitation: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”
Today’s feast honors the Incarnation by which Jesus takes on our human nature, and it honors Mary for her crucial role in that gracious movement: all of salvation hinges on Mary’s “yes” in this moment. By her “yes” we, also, are destined for divinity. It is her acceptance of God’s call to bear Jesus to the world that gives us the courage and strength to bear Jesus to the world. It is her cooperation with the Word of God that gives our own humanity a share in God’s glory.
Gabriel’s visit to Mary is depicted in the Basilica in both stained glass and in a painted mural, as shown here today.
On this feast of the Annunciation, let us say “yes” with Mary to God’s invitation to bear Jesus to the world!