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The feast of the Annunciation goes back to the fourth or fifth century. Its central focus is the Incarnation: God has become one of us. From all eternity God had decided that the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity should become human. Now, as Luke 1:26-38 tells us, the decision is being realized. The God-Man embraces all humanity, indeed all creation, to bring it to God in one great act of love. Because human beings have rejected God, Jesus will accept a life of suffering and an agonizing death: No one has greater love than this, to lay down ones life for ones friends (John 15:13).
Mary has an important role to play in Gods plan. From all eternity God destined her to be the mother of Jesus and closely related to him in the creation and redemption of the world. We could say that Gods decrees of creation and redemption are joined in the decree of Incarnation. As Mary is Gods instrument in the Incarnation, she has a role to play with Jesus...