Monday, April 8, 2013

bow low on bended Knee

Solemnity of the Annunciation

Today we celebrate the Annunciation of the Lord, which normally occurs on March 25, 9 months from Christmas.  But since it fell during Holy Week and the following week was the octave of Easter the church has us celebrating it today, two weeks laters.

This is no buggy, considering most people discover they are pregnant after the fact, that is after conception as already taken place.

Nonetheless, this is a big feast for us.  This day marks the day on which God becomes man.  The church reminds us, as God instructs us through the feast, that life begins at conception.

Thus, the incarnation, the taking on of human substance starts with the first cell being formed in the fetus.

Think about Jesus being a fetus for a moment.  Think about how vulnerable a reality that it, especially in our culture where killing the pre born is so matter of fact.

God truly does humble himself to be with us.

On this day, the church invites us to genuflect on the words, "by the holy spirit he was incarnate of the virgin mary" in the creed we profess.

Thus we imitate God's action of coming low to earth i our bodies as we go down and touch the earth: bowing low on bended knee.


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