Annunciation of the Theotokos

On this day we celebrate the Annunciation of our most holy Lady Theotokos and ever virgin Mary. Our benevolent and charitable God, Who always takes care of the human race as an affectionate father, saw that the creature which His hands had made was being tyrannised by the devil. Man was being carried away by the passions of vice and was subject to idolatry. So, God decided to send his only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in order to redeem us from the devil's hands. However, He wanted this mystery to remain hidden both from Satan and from the heavenly Powers. This is why he sent Gabriel and with the provision of his oeconomia the holy Virgin Mary was born and kept pure, who was worthy of such a great mystery and universal good. So, the Angel came to the town of Nazareth and told her: "Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee." Some other words followed and finally the Virgin said to the Angel: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." Immediately after these words she supernaturally conceived in her immaculate womb the Son and Word of God, His wisdom and power which has substance, with the overshadowing of the Word of God Himself and with the coming of the Holy Spirit upon her. Since then all the mysteries of the Word of God for our salvation and redemption were accomplished according to His oeconomia.