Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord

Readings of the Day

The account of the angel Gabriel coming to visit Mary and sharing with her the good news that she was going to be the mother of God has always been a special day of reflection for me. When this unbelievable request was made, Mary could not fathom what was being asked of her and certainly didn't understand how it could take place. And yet she gave a resounding fiat: "I'm the maid servant of the Lord, let it be done to me as you say." That "yes" set us on a course towards the birth of God's Son. 

Mary's “yes” followed the history of our matriarchs and patriarchs from the Old Testament: Noah, Abraham, Moses, Rebecca, and Sarah. For the last 2,000 years, that “yes” has been repeated by apostles, martyrs, and saints. Here in the United States, we have the blessing of numerous individuals who responded with a “yes” to the Lord: St. Elizabeth Seton, St. John Neumann, St. Junipero Serra, and many others, including Martin Luther King, Jr., Dorothy Day, and Thomas Merton.

But we are people of today. At Catholic Charities we have a very strong motto - it's on our t-shirts and in our DNA here in the Archdiocese of Washington - we just “say yes.” I actually believe it is all of us across the country who work with Catholic Charities who have said the same “yes” and continue to invite others who work with us to do so as well. On this Feast of the Annunciation, may we live out the “yes” of Mary, in our everyday ministry and work across the United States, through Catholic Charities.  

Msgr. John Enzler is the President and CEO of Catholic Charities for the Archdiocese of Washington.

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