The Annunciation of the Lord

Today in the Catholic Church, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord; the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would be the mother of Jesus. Family must be important to God... He could have chosen any manner of ways to send His Son into the world, yet He chose a family... and the Word became flesh, and made his dwelling among us... (Jn 1:14)

In humility, Mary consented to God's plan, "May it be done to me according to your word."(Lk 1:38) In humility and faith, Joseph "did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him". (Mt 1:24) They were Jesus' family, chosen by God!

Perhaps your own family has not been perfect... maybe home was not the nurturing, loving environment you needed; maybe there were just so many trials and difficulties that you felt like God had abandoned you or didn't care. Not true... He loves you, and He always, always works things together for your good.

In these final weeks of Lent, may we emulate the response of the Holy Family and do as the Lord commands us to do; may we accept His will and trust His plan for us. May we place Jesus at the center of our families, allowing Him to dwell with us; and may we thank God for His gift of all those we hold dear in the family of God.