Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariae

... et concepit de Spiritu Sancto.
... ...
The liturgical year finds itself wonderously crossed-up today, as we trudge along in our Lenten pennance & suddenly come across the celebration of the glorious announcement of our salvation, of God's doing a new thing in the world.

Obviously, this day is celebrated about 9 months from Christmas, about the time of the vernal equinox, just as Christmas is situated near the winter solstice - surely planted there to supplant a Roman pagan winter festival. With no references to the time of year recorded in the Gospels or preserved in Tradition, the Church felt free to assign the day of the celebration of Lord's Nativity for pastoral or catechetical reasons, rather than historical ones. All we can know is that it was during the census, which is a matter of great debate amongst scholars, & that it was at least warm enough for the shepherds to still be spending the nights outdoors. It appears that the important point that the Church wanted to make crystal clear is that Jesus, the Son of God, was born as a human child of the virgin Mary.

The fact of the Incarnation took precedence over all other subordinate facts, especially in the face of new heretical spiritualities popping up all around that denied that God did, would, or even could become a man. Others would say that just an ordinary birth of a good man by a decent woman took place, & the Church later divinized the poor guy & even semi-divinized his mother! Well, these were all hot topics back in the day, & persistently remain around today in various forms. Seems like Chesterton once commented that there are no new heresies; just old one in new packaging.

Today, the Church affirms with clarity that with Mary's "Let it be", the stranglehold of sin & its attendant consequence of death - neither of which were ever part of the God's plan for man - are no longer in control of man's destiny. Mary, the new Eve, by her trust & obedience to the word & will of God, paves the way for Jesus, the new Adam, to offer his sacrifice of perfect obedience that reconciles man back to God. With Mary's cooperation, the key begins to turn in the lock of our prison doors. If only by our obedience we would step out.

Ecce, ancilla Domini; Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum.