Educated in the Temple from childhood, Our Lady knew well the prophecies and types of the scriptures which pointed to the Messiah, the Christ. Following the Annunciation, these became uniquely personal to her as she carried that Messiah in her own womb, looking forward to His birth. With humility and trust, she accepted the vocation of being the Mother of the living God who came to visit us.

Our Lady’s consent to the invitation of God to be the Mother of Christ was eagerly awaited by those looking forward to salvation, from Adam, through Abraham, Moses, King David, and the prophets. It is the pivotal moment of all human history, and indeed of the whole of creation. The coming of Christ in the flesh for our salvation is the master-key to understanding the meaning of the universe which God created.

Therefore we also thank the Father for His loving kindness in sending us His Son, Jesus Christ. Our celebration of that moment of the Annunciation is fulfilled in the feast of Christmas which is rightly, along with Easter, one of the two greatest feasts in our calendar. We have a worthy reason to offer one another good wishes for the gift of God in sending us His Son.