Annunciation of the Lord - March 25

Isaiah 7:10-14,8-10 Hebrews 10:4-10 Luke 1:26-38

We know God calls us to trust Him beyond measure, anticipation, or understanding. Whether the Holy Spirit draws us to alleviate suffering in the wider world, to nourish our communities, or to emulate the Holy Family in our homes, may we feel our Heavenly Father with us in the liminal spaces — encouraging us to leap and grow.

Last year, I often found myself reflecting upon Mary’s role in the Annunciation, praying for her intercession, and meditating upon her surrendered journey into faithful motherhood. Against the odds, our family had been blessed with expecting a bonus third baby, and while deeply embraced, the pregnancy was inexplicably harder on my body. I prayed to maintain the physical and emotional strength to match our joy, for the Holy Family’s continued protection, and that God would prepare us. Anticipating another swift labor, instead, eight days of prodromal waves tugged me to deep, preparatory surrender. “May it be done to me according to Your word.” With God’s perfect, precipitous timing, we soon welcomed a beautiful baby boy — one who happened to have a surprise bonus chromosome to love. Falling immediately for his starry eyes, God’s protection felt palpable amidst my unspoken questions. “God is with us!”

Once the inevitable team urgency set in, emergent interventions brought swift separation from my baby, and I never before prayed with such grief and fervor until I could be back with him and my husband. “Do not be afraid. [...] The Lord is with you.” Sighing soon beside my stable baby in the NICU, doing my best to release unknowns, feeling all roads of my life suddenly, perfectly converge, I felt myself softly, fully arriving to my call: “Here I am, Lord; I come to do Your will.”

Q: This Lent, how is God calling me into a new life? Who are the people encouraging me to “trust and surrender?”

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