REFLECTION:

I have always loved how, when we read Scripture carefully, we begin to see the beautiful connections within salvation history. God often restores what was broken in the very same way it was lost. In the Book of Genesis, sin entered the world through the disobedience of Adam. Yet in the fullness of time, Jesus—whom Saint Paul calls the new Adam—restores humanity through His obedience. Where the first Adam said no to God, the new Adam says yes to the Father, even unto the Cross.

We see a similar connection in the Gospel account of the Annunciation (Luke 1:26–38). Just as the fall of humanity involved a moment of disobedience, the beginning of our redemption begins with a moment of faithful obedience. When the angel Gabriel appears to Mary and reveals God’s plan, her response changes the course of history: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word.”

With those words—Mary’s fiat, her “yes”—the Son of God entered the world.

As we draw closer to Holy Week, this moment takes on even deeper meaning. The Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Annunciation as the beginning of the mystery that will eventually lead to Christmas, but it also points forward to Good Friday and Easter. Mary’s yes set in motion the entire journey of salvation.



This connection becomes especially clear during Lent. At the Annunciation, Jesus enters the world through Mary’s yes. During Holy Week, Jesus saves the world through His own yes to the Father.

Mary said yes to carrying Christ into the world. Jesus said yes to carrying the Cross for the world.

In many ways, the Annunciation is the first step toward the Cross. The child conceived in Mary’s womb would one day stretch out His arms on the wood of the Cross for our salvation. The obedience of Mary prepares the way for the obedience of Christ.

Saint Paul reminds us of this mystery when he writes that Jesus “became obedient unto death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8). That obedience begins with the mystery we celebrate at the Annunciation—the moment when the Word became flesh.

This feast invites us to reflect on our own lives. God’s plan for the world often unfolds through ordinary people who are willing to say yes to Him. Like Mary, we may not see the full picture. We may not know where God is leading us. But faith invites us to trust that God can do great things through our willingness.

As we approach Holy Week, the Annunciation reminds us that salvation began with a yes—and our journey of faith continues each time we have the courage to say the same: “Lord, let it be done to me according to your word.”