Homily Helps

ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD HOMILY HELPS

These homily notes are provided to help priests and deacons make connections to respect for human life on the Solemnity of the Annunciation (March 25). Parts of these reflections on the Annunciation can also be included in the homily the weekend prior to inform the parish community about this upcoming feast day. Brief notes are provided to introduce the congregation to the Blessing of a Child in the Womb.

Other ministry leaders can also use these reflections to highlight Respect Life connections elsewhere, such as in a Bible study, in a small group or a faith formation setting, or as part of another ministry gathering.

Sunday Before the Solemnity of the March 25* Annunciation Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord

This upcoming [insert day of week], the Church First Reading: Isaiah 7:10-14; 8:10 celebrates the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 40:7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 11 Lord. This celebration commemorates the visit of the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary to inform her that she Second Reading: Hebrews 10:4-10 was to be the mother of our Savior. After giving her Gospel Acclamation: John 1:14ab consent to God’s word, Mary conceives Jesus in her womb and becomes the mother of Christ by the power Gospel: Luke 1:26-38 of the Holy Spirit. God becomes incarnate in the womb of a woman and “the Word became flesh” (John 1:14). *The celebration of the Annunciation is sometimes In modern times, this feast day has taken on special transferred from March 25 in order to accommodate meaning in the Church’s efforts to protect and Lenten observances. defend human life. Scientific advances have allowed The following sample homily is based on the us to confirm that life begins at fertilization. The reflections of Pope St. John Paul II in the conclusion Annunciation helps us to recognize the gift of new of the encyclical Evangelium vitae, nos. 102-105. life from its very beginning in the womb. It calls us to reflect on how we are to care for, protect, and welcome Today is the anniversary of the papal encyclical new life, as the Blessed Mother did for the Christ child. Evangelium vitae, also known as The Gospel of Life. This document, written by Pope St. John Paul II, reaffirmed In anticipation of this great Marian feast day that the Church’s constant teaching on the value and highlights the humanity of all unborn children, we inviolability of every human life. It also addressed will be offering the Blessing of a Child in the Womb. modern day threats to life, including abortion, artificial Expectant parents will be invited to rise, come forward, reproduction, contraception, capital punishment, and receive this blessing upon their children. euthanasia, sterilization, and suicide. [The Blessing of a Child in the Womb may take place Issued on March 25, 1995, The Gospel of Life was within Mass (after the Prayer of the Faithful), or as an prophetically put forward on this great Marian feast, additional solemn blessing at the end of Mass. It may also the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. Today’s be given outside the Mass, within the context of a brief celebration of the Annunciation—as recalled in our celebration of the Word of God, by a priest or deacon.] Gospel reading—commemorates the visit of the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary to inform her that she was to be the mother of our Savior. After giving her consent to God’s word, Mary conceives Jesus in her womb and becomes the mother of God by the power of the Holy Spirit. Christ becomes incarnate in the womb of a woman and the Word is made flesh.

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11 14 The The 15

Evangelium vitae 17 Because Christ in taking on flesh has taking on flesh has Because Christ in Evangelium vitae Evangelium vitae 12 “Mary is a living word of comfort for the the “Mary is a living word of comfort for RESPECTLIFE.ORG/ACTION-GUIDES

himself. himself. when Mary gives her Son over to death, and and over to death, gives her Son when Mary [emphasis added] in her struggle against death. death. [emphasis added] in her struggle against 13 10 respect, protect, love and serve life, every human every human love and serve life, protect, respect, (emphasis added). . Ibid. Ibid. Ibid Ibid. 1:30, 37). The whole of the Virgin Mother’s life is in fact life is in fact Virgin Mother’s The whole of the 37). 1:30, is near to her and pervaded by the certainty that God care.” that he accompanies her with his providential Therefore, Church the Church assures us that in him Showing us the Son, defeated.” the forces of death have already been Christ By his blood, battle for life has already been won. has won salvation for us. look to Mary and entrust the cause of we must So, are called We life to her tender care and intercession. ask the Blessed We to be a people of life and for life. that all who “grant to through her intercession, Mother, Gospel of life with believe in [her] Son may proclaim the time.” honesty and love to the people of our appeal “pressing John Paul II’s St. May we answer Pope name of in the addressed to each and every person, God: life!” was pierced. Mary’s “‘yes’ spoken on the day of the of the on the day spoken “‘yes’ Mary’s was pierced. of the maturity on the day reaches full Annunciation Cross,” Church. the Mother of the becomes was threatened life of the Christ-child know that the We to Joseph had to flee Mary and Calvary. long before life of the infant Jesus from Herod’s Egypt to protect the Church to realize “helps the Mary plans to kill him. at the center of a great struggle that life is always light and darkness.” between evil, between good and person, “every Jesus represents The vulnerable infant baby whose life especially every helpless every child, is threatened.” we come to every human person, united Himself with in whatever of human life, “rejection understand that is really a rejection of takes, form that rejection Christ” to human life in Despite the great number of threats John Paul St. Pope we still have hope. our world today, which announcement to Mary, II highlights the angel’s ‘Do not be afraid, “is framed by these reassuring words: (Lk ‘with God nothing will be impossible’ and Mary’ 15 16 John Paul II, 17 Pope Used with permission. Scriptural excerpt from NABRE © 2010 CCD. Excerpts from All rights reserved. iStock. All rights reserved. Used with permission. Vaticana. Editrice All rights reserved. Photo used with permission. com/TatianaDavidova. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Copyright © 2019, All rights reserved. DC. Washington, 12 13 John Paul II, 14 Pope

4 But But 7 and and The The 8 6 Gospel Gospel Her own heart Her own heart 9 In a similar In a similar 3 , Pope St. John John St. Pope , , 104 , (Vatican City: Libreria Editrice City: Libreria Editrice (Vatican , 102. , 103 ,

5 The Gospel of Life Evangelium vitae Evangelium vitae Evangelium vitae, Evangelium vitae , the Virgin Mother; she is thus most she is thus most Virgin Mother; the , Mary . Mary’s consent at the Annunciation and her and her consent at the Annunciation Mary’s . Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. 11 Pope John Paul II, John Paul II, 11 Pope 7 8 9 10 4 5 John Paul II, 6 Pope 1 Pope John Paul II, John Paul II, 1 Pope 105. 1995), Vaticana, John Paul II, 2 Pope 3 ______performs her saving mission amid sin, suffering, suffering, performs her saving mission amid sin, Mary too had “like the Church, But, and death. injustice, to live her motherhood amid suffering.” The motherhood of the Church is only realized through The motherhood of the Church is only realized through meaning that the Church the labor pains of childbirth, “in constant tension with the forces of evil” is by the motherhood of Mary, who bore Christ to the Christ to the who bore by the motherhood of Mary, the Mary is therefore world through her very womb. model of the Church. this great mission of the Church was only made possible only made possible this great mission of the Church was “discovers the meaning of her own motherhood.” “discovers the meaning of her own “mother of all who are reborn to life.” “mother be our mother. we also understand the Church to way, the Church motherhood, By contemplating Mary’s motherhood stand at the very beginning of the mystery of the mystery motherhood stand at the very beginning on humanity.” of life which Christ came to bestow becomes the becoming the Mother of God, in Mary, of all was associated with the closely and personally of life largely on these reflections. “the one Annunciation we see that In the story of the for the sake in the name of all and ‘Life’ who accepted In the conclusion of In the conclusion the Mother reflection on Mary, Paul II offers a profound This homily is based of God and the Annunciation. for, protect, and welcome new life, as the Blessed the Blessed as life, and welcome new protect, for, Christ child. Mother did for the human life. Scientific advances have allowed us to have allowed us to advances Scientific human life. This solemnity conception. that life begins at confirm its very of new life from to recognize the gift helps us how we are to care us to reflect on It calls beginning. In modern times, this feast day has taken on special on special has taken feast day this times, In modern protect and defend efforts to in the Church’s meaning Church “is called to offer Christ to the world, giving giving “is called to offer Christ to the world, Church own life.” men and women new birth into God’s welcomed and cared for.” the Church pregnant with the Christ-child, Like Mary, the world.” “bears within herself the Savior of Mary’s experience as the Mother of our Lord and Savior experience as the Mother of our Lord and Savior Mary’s be of how life should “model gives us the Jesus Christ,