"Mary said, 'Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.'"
The Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Annunciation on this day, the moment when the Virgin Mary said a perfect "yes" to God and permitted Jesus Christ to enter our world. This moment changed the course of history forever, and from this moment on, all generations have called Our Lady blessed. The Angel's message to Mary was also an announcement that her cousin Elizabeth had conceived in her old age. Mary did not delay, but went "in haste" to her, and remained with her for three months, which Scripture indicates was the time remaining in Elizabeth's pregnancy. On this last day of our Novena, we ask for Our Lady's help in saying "yes" to God and in taking action on his Word.