The Festival of the Annunciation of our Lord
Posted on March 25, 2025 by under
Scripture: Isaiah 7:10-17 (NKJV)
7:10 Moreover the Lord spoke again to Ahaz, saying, 11 “Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God; ask it either in the depth or in the height above.”
12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord!”
13 Then he said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. 15 Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you dread will be forsaken by both her kings. 17 The Lord will bring the king of Assyria upon you and your people and your father’s house—days that have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah.”
Devotion
Some may see the appointment of festivals as being just a celebration on the calendar. Some may think the festivals distract from the Christian life. Both of these opinions are wrong. First, we see that the festivals of the Church significantly point us to Jesus. We see on this day of the Annunciation—the day when the Blessed Virgin Mary received the Word of God that she would conceive God in the Flesh—that God has kept His promise that we read in the prophet Isaiah. The virgin conceived and bore a son that would save us from sin. This gives us hope beyond all hope because we are reminded, in a very real way on this day, that God keeps his promises.
Second, while we do celebrate God’s work in the life of the saints, for Christians it is more than a celebration. It is a call to live as God would have us live in His mercy. King Ahaz did not want to receive the Word of God. St. Mary, by contrast, received the Word. Even when a great burden was placed on her to be the mother of the Incarnate God, Mary accepted it gladly. Let this be true for all Christians: that they are reminded of God’s love and do His will on this and every festival day.
Collect: We beseech Thee, O Lord, pour Thy grace into our hearts; that as we have known the Incarnation of Thy Son Jesus Christ by the message of an angel, so by His Cross and Passion we may be brought unto the glory of His Resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Collect for Oculi Sunday
We beseech Thee, Almighty God, look upon the hearty desires of Thy humble servants, and stretch forth the right hand of Thy Majesty to be our defense against all our enemies; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Collect for the Season of Lent
Almighty and Everlasting God, Who hatest nothing that Thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of Thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
