The Annunciation of our Lord Jesus Christ to the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Collect
Pour your grace into our hearts, O Lord, that we who have known the incarnation of your Son Jesus Christ announced by an angel to the Virgin Mary, may by his cross and passion be brought to the glory of his resurrection; who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Psalm
40:5-11
or

Canticle 15 (Magnificat)

The Readings

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

And the Angel came in unto her, and said, Haile thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: Blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her minde what manner of salutation this should be.

Luke 1:28-29

The divine human encounter we commemorate this day has been one of the most celebrated inspirations of artists down the centuries. Here is one beautiful example, which itself provides inspiration for a further reflection. Hudgins' poem in turn invites us to reflect on the way in which this rightly celebrated event, for all its high piety, can also serve as a window into the very real and relatable--the questioning and uncertainty, the fear and confusion that are here, even here, in this most holy moment. The life of faith consists of such moments, wherein Christ dwells.
  

The Cestello Annunciation

Sandro Botticelli, 1489

"The Cestello Annunciation"

by Andrew Hudgins

The angel has already said, Be not afraid.

He's said, The power of the Most High

will darken you. Her eyes are downcast and half closed.

And there's a long pause--a pause here of forever--

as the angel crowds her. She backs away,

her left side pressed against the picture frame.

He kneels. He's come in all unearthly innocence 

to tell her of glory--not knowing, not remembering

how terrible it is. And Botticelli

gives her eternity to turn, look out the doorway, where

on a far hill floats a castle, and halfway across

the river toward it juts a bridge, not completed--

and neither is the touch, angel to virgin,

both her hands held up, both elegant, one raised

as if to say stop, while the other hand, the right one,

reaches toward his; and as it does, it parts her blue robe

and reveals the concealed red of her inner garment

to the red tiles of the floor and the red folds

of the angel's robe. But her whole body pulls away.

Only her head, already haloed, bows, 

acquiescing. And though she will, she's not yet said,

Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord,

as Botticelli, in his great pity,

lets her refuse, accept, refuse, and think again.

Closing Prayer

Almighty and Everlasting God, who has stooped to raise fallen humanity through the child-bearing of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Grant that we, who have seen your glory revealed in our human nature and your love made perfect in our weakness, may daily be renewed in your image and conformed to the pattern of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
~ from Saint Augustine's Prayer Book

Saint Joseph

The Collect
O God, who from the family of your servant David raised up Joseph to be the guardian of your incarnate Son and the spouse of his virgin mother: Give us grace to imitate his uprightness of life and his obedience to your commands; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Psalm
89:1-4, 26-29

The Readings
II Samuel 7:4, 8-16     +     Romans 4:13-18     +     Luke 2:41-52

For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants . . . in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 

~Romans 4:16-17

Time and again the scriptures bid us to hear this message: It is not all up to you. It is not that you are unimportant, or that what you do is of no consequence. On the contrary, you are of such great worth to God that God takes the responsibility for your welfare. This is grace. This is more even than we can imagine. This is life from the dead. This is the work of God in and for us.

God remains faithful when we are faithless. God establishes the promise of faithfulness toward us on the solid rock of divine grace. There it rests secure.

Ours is, as always, to respond to the gracious invitation, the grace-filled promise. Joseph responded in faith to the angel's message, and believed that God was able to call into existence something hitherto unimaginable. May we, following his example, find that same grace-empowered faith and to trust in the God who calls us always to life--to its nurture, its abundance, its resurrection from the dead.   

Closing Prayer

Ancient of Days, Alpha and Omega, still you knew the long years of growth and learning; Lord Jesus, teach us by the example of Joseph to act in justice tempered by kindness, to be obedient to your call, and to work for the well-being of those committed to our care; make us faithful in the work you give us to do. Amen.

~from Saint Augustine's Prayer Book