March 25. The Annunciation.  “Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be to me according to your word.” Pearl shared some of her insights with the others on the feast of the Annunciation.   “Mary, a young girl, betrothed to be married, had her life completely turned upside down by the invitation she received through the angel Gabriel to be the mother of the Messiah. She rightly questioned the angel, asking how this could be possible, but her ‘yes’ to God was unconditional. From that moment on she devoted her life totally and with great love to her son, the Son of God.   Hers was nevertheless an unplanned pregnancy, and at that time it could have been as problematical as it has been for many other young women until our day. According to custom she could have been killed but Joseph had responded positively to God’s message in a dream, and accepted and treasured Mary as his wife and Jesus as his son.  Unwed mothers in different cultures have had very difficult experiences, as was reported in Ireland a while ago, where the moms and their babies were badly mistreated in institutions, because of the judgmental attitudes of the Church, the community and their own families too.  Today, abortion is legal in South Africa and is far too commonly chosen as it remains seriously sinful. Social and family support for the right to life of unborn babies should always be available.” Portia thought, “that lovely stained glass window at Regina Mundi in Soweto, has been a source of support and comfort for many of us, pregnant girls.” 

Reflect, share and act. Scripture: “Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be to me according to your word.” From Luke 1:26-38.   Pope Francis: The Church has been present for centuries throughout the world and all things human are our concern. Wherever the councils of nations come together to establish the rights and duties of man, we are honoured to take our place among them. This journey of fraternity also has a Mother, whose name is Mary.  Having received universal motherhood at the foot of the cross she cares not only for Jesus but also for the rest of her children. She wants to give birth to a new world, where all of us are brothers and sisters.  FT 278.  JUBILEE. Hope finds its supreme witness in the Mother of God. We see that hope is not naive optimism but a gift of grace amid the realities of life. Like every mother, whenever Mary looked at her Son, she thought of his future. Surely she kept pondering in her heart the words spoken to her in the Temple by the elderly Simeon: “This child is destined for the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed, so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed – and a sword will pierce your own soul too” (Lk 2:34-35). At the foot of the cross, she witnessed the passion and death of Jesus, her innocent son. Overwhelmed with grief, she nonetheless renewed her “fiat”, never abandoning her hope and trust in God. In this way, Mary cooperated for our sake in the fulfilment of all that her Son had foretold in announcing that he would have to “undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again” (Mk 8:31). In the travail of that sorrow, offered in love, Mary became our Mother, the Mother of Hope. It is not by chance that popular piety continues to invoke the Blessed Virgin as Stella Maris, a title that bespeaks the sure hope that, amid the tempests of this life, the Mother of God comes to our aid, sustains us and encourages us to persevere in hope and trust.  SNC 24.      Choose an act of love and sacrifice from the list, also published at www.marfam.org.za.