March 25, 2025 // Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Isaiah 7:10-14; 8:10
Reflect on the Word //
“Emmanuel.” This word rolls off my tongue in a prayerful refrain. Whispered in the early morning hours as I reach for my Bible and resist the desire to scroll on my phone. Repeated in the afternoon, as I love, correct, feed, and clean up after my children. Sung in the quiet of the night, as I nurse a baby and listen to the soft sounds of a home finally at rest. Throughout the day, I am consoled and restored by “Emmanuel.” I am reminded of His love for me, and His deep thirst for my soul. I am made aware of His constant gaze, and His steadfast pursuit of my heart. “Emmanuel” sets my feet on firm foundation.
“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel, which means ‘God is with us!’” (Isaiah 7:14) The prophet Isaiah proclaimed the glory of the Incarnation, which was to come 700 years after he wrote those words. God made flesh. God with us. The Solemnity of the Annunciation, when Mary became the Mother of God, is a day when we can honor and reflect on our Lady’s fiat. Her glorious role in Salvation History as the model of faithful obedience to the will of God. We are never alone, because the Blessed Mother gave her fiat. And because He became Man, our beloved Lord is immersed in and has redeemed every moment of our lives. He desires an incomprehensible intimacy with us, so much so that He allows Himself to be consumed in the Eucharist. He is Emmanuel, God with us.
We need this reminder. We live in a time that is rife with shallow connections, and from that has emerged a multitude of souls tormented with loneliness. In this fallen world, we will encounter suffering and will feel alone. But we do not belong to the world. We belong to the Savior, and He is Emmanuel.
Relate to the Lord // Make Emmanuel your prayer today, too. Whisper, sing, or say it—and, just as the Blessed Mother experienced, remember that He is with you.
Leana Bowler is a wife and mother of eight little ones. She is a Holy Rosary enthusiast with deep devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Her love for the message of Divine Mercy led her to become a Marian Missionary of Divine Mercy. She enjoys the miracles of family life, strong coffee, and encountering others on this journey to sainthood. She was a contributing author to And Hay Became Holy and Made New: 52 Devotions for Catholic Women.
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