Tuesday, March 25, 2025
March 25 — the feast commemorating the angel Gabriel's announcement to Mary that she would bear the Son of God.
The Annunciation, celebrated on March 25 (nine months before Christmas), commemorates the angel Gabriel's appearance to the Virgin Mary announcing that she would conceive and bear the Son of God (Luke 1:26-38). Mary's response — 'Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word' (KJV) or 'May your word to me be fulfilled' (NIV) — is one of the most consequential statements in scripture. The Incarnation begins not at Jesus' birth but at his conception in Mary's womb — making March 25 a celebration of the moment God became human. The date was likely set in the early centuries based on a tradition that the perfect creation event would have happened on a perfect date — March 25 was considered both the original date of creation and (in some traditions) the date of the crucifixion. December 25 followed nine months later. The feast is observed by Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran churches.
The Annunciation is a major feast even when it falls during Lent (as it almost always does). Observance includes: white vestments (replacing Lent's violet for the day), the Gloria sung (despite Lent's omission), the singing of the Magnificat (Mary's song from Luke 1:46-55), the reading of Luke 1:26-38, and in many traditions, the bowing or genuflecting at the words 'and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary' in the Creed.
The traditional Bible readings for The Annunciation include:
The Annunciation commemorates the moment the angel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary that she would conceive Jesus by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:26-38). It is the moment of the Incarnation — when the eternal Son of God became human in Mary's womb. Mary's response, 'May your word to me be fulfilled,' has been called the most consequential 'yes' in human history.
March 25 is exactly nine months before Christmas (December 25). The early church chose the date based on a tradition that perfect events would happen on perfect dates — March 25 was considered both the original date of creation and (in some traditions) the date of Christ's crucifixion. The Incarnation, the new creation, would therefore begin on the same date.
Gabriel is one of the archangels named in scripture. He appears to Daniel to interpret visions (Daniel 8:16; 9:21), to Zechariah to announce John the Baptist's birth (Luke 1:11-20), and to Mary to announce Jesus's conception (Luke 1:26-38). The name Gabriel means 'God is my strength' in Hebrew. He is described as standing in God's presence.
The Magnificat (from the Latin 'magnificat anima mea Dominum' — 'My soul magnifies the Lord') is Mary's song of praise after the Annunciation, recorded in Luke 1:46-55. It celebrates God's mercy to the lowly, his scattering of the proud, and his fulfillment of his promises to Abraham. The Magnificat has been sung daily in evening prayer (Vespers) since the early centuries of the church.