The Feast of the Annunciation

Rose Miller

2 years ago

WelCom March 2023

25 March, Solemnity

The Feast of the Annunciation on 25 March is one of the most important in the Church calendar.

The biblical account of the Annunciation is in the first chapter of the Gospel of St Luke, (Lk 1:26-39) which describes the news given to Mary that she was to become the mother of the Incarnation of God, and records the ‘angelic salutation’ of Gabriel to Mary, ‘Hail, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’ It is the origin of the repeated ‘Hail Mary’ prayer of the Rosary; and Mary’s response to God’s will, ‘Let it be done to me according to thy word’. Her exultant hymn, the ‘Magnificat’, is found in Luke 1:46-55.

Annunciation (c 1472–1475), is thought to be Leonardo da Vinci’s earliest complete work. Image: Wikimedia Commons

Hail Mary,

Full of Grace,

The Lord is with you.

Blessed are you among women,

and blessed is the fruit

of your womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners now,

and at the hour of death.

Amen.

Awe Maria e ki ana koe,

e te keretia,

kia koe e te Ariki,

kia whakapainga koe.

I roto i nga wahine ae whakapainga hoki.

A Hehu te hua o tou kopu.

Hata Maria te Matua wahine o te Atua

inoi koe mo matou mo te hunga

e hara ana aianei a te hoara o toku matenga rawa.

Amene.