Branded with the good news of the Immaculate Conception and the birth of the Messiah, the Annunciation or Lady Day is one of the major feasts for the Christian world. On this day, the purest among virgins, Mary was chosen to give birth to the Son of God and kindle the flame of hope for redemption and a return of God’s children to Eden. This good news was being expected by Christians for long centuries ever since Adam and Eve were banished from the place where suffering and grief were unknown. Because they tasted the forbidden fruit from of Garden of their Creator, our forefathers were thrown away to the earth to suffer, toil for their bread and as to women, they were destined to give birth to their children in pain. Still, the Creator loved mankind too much and so He sent over his Archangel Gabriel to herald the advent of the Messiah in the person of his only Son. And when Gabriel faced Mary he said, “Don’t be afraid, Mary. You have found favor with God”. Mary was taken by surprise, as she did not know what the angel was talking about. But when she realized that she had been chosen to give birth to the Son of God she accepted the good news with humility. At the moment Mary voluntarily accepted her role in the Salvation of mankind, she conceived in an immaculate way. With more on this important event here is priest Boyan Saraev from The Assumption Monastery in Kurdjali, Southeastern Bulgaria.

“In this way God displayed His infinite mercy and kindness to mankind, and more notably to women tainted by the Original Sin. Through God’s benevolence to let a woman give birth to Jesus, her womb was sanctified along with femininity in general. In this way the woman became a mother and was raised to a high pedestal in the eyes of people and of the Creator.”

For this reason, the Feast of Annunciation in the Christian tradition is anticipated as a feast of the mother, because through Virgin Mary maternity had the blessing of God. This spells out the importance of the woman in the creation of life. It is not accidental that the image of Virgin Mary is so precious for the faithful Christians. Venerated as a guardian of the family, of pregnant women and of mothers, she responds to everyone who turns to her. As mother of the Messiah, she intercedes with God for all who suffer and are wronged and brings solace to them. There is a legend about a night vigil in Constantinople attesting to her unwavering care for human beings. While the faithful were praying, they suddenly saw how the dome of the church disappeared and sighted the Holy Virgin Mary taking its place in the company of a host of angles, holding her shroud over the church and the worshippers. In this way she expressed her uninterrupted protection of the faithful relying on her. For both Orthodox Christians and Catholics the Holy Virgin Mary is equally important and the miracles that she performs to reinforce Christian faith, are countless.

“The feast of the Annunciation is celebrated by both the Catholic and the Orthodox Christian church. It is of great importance for mankind and its salvation, because through the Holy Virgin, the spiritual bond between God and man was restored. With the news of the birth of the Messiah the Original Sin was washed from the face of mankind. In this way humans became the younger brothers of Christ, God’s sons and daughters. And, let us on this great day direct our prayers of thankfulness to the Holy Virgin Mary and to Our Father who sacrificed His only Son for mankind.”

English Daniela Konstantinova