The Prayer of the Day relates the Annunciation to the other events of redemption that we contemplate during Lent:
O Lord, pour your grace into our hearts; that, as we have known the incarnation of your Son Jesus Christ by the message of an angel, so by his cross and passion we may be brought into the glory of his resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
On this traditional feast day, we think of many things: the redemptive purpose of God the Father, the splendor of the messenger Gabriel, the gracious humility and faithful obedience of the Virgin Mary, and the mystery of the Incarnation. We also realize that all these wondrous aspects of the story receive their meaning through the Cross, Passion, and Resurrection of the One whose Birth is announced.
In almost any year, the Annunciation brings a bit of brightness into the Lenten season of repentance and discipline. This year, our situation is even more somber in the coronavirus pandemic and its reminders of human frailty and mortality. We need to hear the good news of redemption through Jesus Christ. He comes to be Immanuel, "God with us," and He is still with us in all circumstances. His abiding presence and grace are cause for joy even in somber times!
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