Let It Be Done: The Annunciation of Our Lord – March 25

In this episode of The Southern Catholic Podcast, we reflect on the Annunciation of the Lord, the moment the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and she gave her yes to God. This solemnity marks the beginning of the Incarnation, when the Word became flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Through storytelling and reflection, we explore Mary’s courage, trust, and humility, and what her yes means for our lives today.

This episode explores:
• Why March 25 is one of the most important days in salvation history
• What Mary’s “Let it be done” teaches us about faith
• How God asks for our yes in ordinary life
• Trusting the Lord when we don’t understand the plan

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:23

Well, hey y'all, welcome back to the Southern Catholic Podcast. Grab a cup of coffee, sweet tea, or one of those a lani things, and just stay a while. Because we're going to talk about something. One of the most quiet but most powerful moments in all of human history. And today we're going to celebrate the enunciation of our Lord. The day the angel Gabriel came to the Blessed Virgin Mary and everything changed. There wasn't any crowds, trumpet blasts, kings watching. It was just a young girl in a small town saying yes to God. And that yes opened the door for salvation. Let's get it going. Amen. O God, who willed that your eternal word at the announcement of the angel should take flesh in the Blessed Virgin Mary, hear our humble prayer, that we honor who honor her as the true mother of God. In faith we receive your help through her intercession. Amen. In the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. Let's go to Nazareth. Not Rome or Jerusalem temple or a huge nice fancy palace. Just Nazareth. A place where people barely respected. It's a place in Scripture even that hints that folks thought was nothing special. And that's where God sends the angel Gabriel. Not to a queen, a famous teacher or a famous powerful person, but just to Mary. A young woman, probably a teenager, living a simple, hidden life. And the angel says, Rejoice full of grace, the Lord is with you. Now imagine hearing that. Mary is confused, not proud or excited, just confused. And scripture says that she was troubled at the greeting. Because real holiness doesn't think and deserves any attention. And the question that changes everything is that the angel Gabriel tells she tell he tells her that she will conceive a son, and it's not just any son, it's the son of the most high, the Messiah, the Savior of the world. And Mary just asks one question. How can this be since I know not man? And when you when you think about it, it's just not a question of doubt. She's just trying it's truth that's seeking understanding. She's not saying no. She's saying, Lord, I want to say yes, and help me to understand. And the angel answers, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. And it's not just a miracle, and this is the moment God enters his own creation. The creator becomes a child. It's the most powerful yes in history. And then it comes the moment. The moment everything hangs on. God won't force his way in. He waits for the answer. Mary says, Yes, behold the handmaid of your Lord, let it be done unto me according to your word. And that's it. Not a speech or a celebration or applause. It's just a yes. And in that yes, the word becomes flesh. Salvation begins. And the cross becomes possible and then heaven opens. All because one young woman trusted God more than she trusted her own plans. And why today matters so much? And here's something a lot of people don't realize. And on March 25th is exactly nine months before Christmas. Because today is the day Jesus was conceived in the womb of Mary. Christmas is when he was born, but today is when God became man. The incarceration begins here. And the church calls this a solemnity for a reason. Because without Mary, yes, there's no Bethlehem or Calvary or resurrection. God chose to need her. And that tells us something about how God works. He invites us and he doesn't force us. He calls, he waits for our yes. And Mary's yes wasn't easy. And let's not pretend it it was simple. When we read sometimes we believe that it is, but Mary didn't know it could cost her everything. People could misunderstand. Joseph, he could leave and her reputation could be ruined, his could as well. Her life could be in danger. And yeah, she was still and she still said yes. And that's courage. Real courage. You know, a lot of the time isn't loud. It's just trusting God when you don't know what comes next. Mary didn't know about the cross yet. She didn't know about the the sorrow. She didn't know about the sword Simon would talk about. She just knew God was asking. And she said yes anyway. Now what does the m uh annunciation mean for us? Now here's where this would hit home for us. Most uh most of us won't see angels, most of us won't hear Gabriel's voice. But God still asks for the yes every day. The yes to forgiveness, yes, doing right, staying faithful, trusting him when life doesn't make any sense to us. Sometimes God just shows up in the big moments. But most of the time, he shows up in the small things. And it's just like the ordinary life. The decisions that we make, the small decisions, everyday decisions, the the conversations, the little conversations that we have with everyone, the small little sacrifices, a quiet act of love. And every time we say yes, Christ is born a little more in this world. That's the mystery of the enunciation. God wants us to come into this world through our willing hearts. Think about it. Mary didn't understand everything. She didn't have the whole plan. She didn't know what it was gonna end up being, but she trusted the one who asked. And that's that is faith. And not knowing everything, but trusting God anyway. And this is the beautiful part about it, is that her yes didn't just change her life, it changed all of history. Which means our yeses, your yes matters too. It's more than you think, it's more than what you see, and it's more than what you feel. And so here's your challenge for today. Say yes to one thing God is asking of you. Maybe it's forgiving someone. Maybe it's having patience for someone, or praying when you don't feel like it, especially during a time of work. Maybe it's being patient. It's trusting him with someone or something that you're worried about. Just say, Lord, let it be done according to your word. And also today, ask our lady to help you trust God the way she did. Because nobody ever said it or said yes better than Mary. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Oh blessed Virgin Mary. On this day of the Annunciation, you trusted God without knowing the whole plan. You you welcomed Him and His will with humility and courage, and through your yes, the Savior, He entered this world. And please teach us to trust like you and to listen like you and to say yes even when the path is unclear. Help uh help us help our hearts to be open to God's will so that Christ may live in us and be brought into the world through our lives. Our Lady of the Annunciation, pray for us. Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Alright, thank you all for listening. Keep your eyes on Christ and your heart with Mary and your feet moving towards holiness. You're never alone in this. Remember, we're running this race together. I'll see you next time on the Southern Catholic Podcast. Peace be with you.