“And he came to her and said, ‘Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!’

But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be.

Luke 1:28-29

Simplicity and trust in God are lessons that come to mind when I meditate on the Annunciation. Mary became the handmaid of the Lord. God came bodily to Our Blessed Mother so that he could come spiritually to us.

Becoming a mother in a way is one ‘big interruption’, what I mean is you may like to read or even pray the Mass all the way through but the needs of your children redirects your focus. Mostly these incidents are commonplace and depending on the amount of sleep or other factors, you manage them the best you can. There are other times when these moments are magnified and you need an infusion of grace to get you to the right place. Our Lady seems to do these things seamlessly.

In Fra Angelico’s fresco painting of the Annunciation we enter when Archangel Gabriel greets the young Mary seated and recollected. The lilt of her head and gaze shows her attentiveness. Her posture too, poised and ready. She is simply dressed and in her house, the ordinary meets the extraordinary. In the next moment she says, ‘Yes’, God enters our world and all things change, but outwardly everything is the same.

How often we have the same opportunities in our lives to respond to God’s call and he always encourages us to take up Our Heavenly Mother’s lead. It may be your child, an aged parent, a neighbour or someone else, but God asks and wants to come to you, with his Mother we together can answer ‘Fiat’.

~ Liza Deane

Liza lives in Melbourne. She Enjoys all things art, cooking, reading and cycling on scenic trails together with her lovely husband and three energetic boys.