CONFRATERNITY OF OUR
MOTHER OF PERPETUAL HELP
NOVENA MEDITATIONS FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF THE
ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD
(Is
7:10-14; 8:10; Heb 10:4-10; Lk 1:26-38)
March 25th, 2023
TABLE OF CONTENT
DAY 1: THE SOLEMN CELEBRATION OF THE ANNUNCIATION
DAY 2: GABRIEL, THE BEARER OF GOODNEWS
DAY 3: MARY, OUR LADY OF THE
ANNUNCIATION
DAY 4: MARY, THE ATTENTIVE MOTHER
DAY 5: MARY’S FIAT
DAY 6: ANNUNCIATIONO OF HOPE: With God nothing is
impossible
DAY 7: ANNUNCIATION OF JOY: The Virgin will bear a Son
DAY 8: THE TESTIMONY OF THE ANNUNCIATION
DAY 9: THE MANIFESTATION OF THE TRINITY IN THE ANNUNCIATION
DAY 1: THE SOLEMN CELEBRATION OF THE ANNUNCIATION
The solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord celebrates
that moment in our salvation history when Angel Gabriel announced to the
Blessed Virgin Mary that she would conceive and give birth Jesus, the Messiah. In
this celebration, we recall that solemn moment which marked the beginning of
the fulfilment of the promise God made to man since after the fall (Gen 3:15).
A promise of salvation, which gathered momentum through the prophets (Is
7:10-14). The angel came to Mary, saluted her, saying, “Hail, full of grace,
the Lord is with you!”
In the history of the Church, there was a debate that
arouse around the 5th Century over the unity of the divine and human
natures of Jesus Christ, i.e. the hypostatic union. The debate began with
Archbishop of Constantinople, Nestorius, who denied that in the divine and the
human are perfectly united in the one person of Christ. Therefore, Nestorius
claimed that Mary gave birth to only the humanity of Christ, so she should be
called “Christ-bearer” and not the “Mother of God.” St Cyril, the Archbishop of
Alexandra, argued that the divine and the human natures of Jesus were united in
one hypostatic union. The Church condemned the heresy of Nestorius in 431 AD
during the Council of Ephesus. It was upheld that divinity and humanity of are
perfectly united and, therefore, Mary is properly called the “Theotokos”
(Mother of God). After overcoming this controversy and establishing the dogma
of Mary Mother of God, the celebration of the Annunciation of instituted.
The Church celebrates this awesome moment of the
annunciation with great solemnity, thereby highlighting it as an important
landmark of salvation. It was initially called ‘The Annunciation of Mary.’ But
later liturgical reviews changed the title to ‘The Annunciation of the Lord’,
following its connection with Jesus. The date of the Annunciation was set on
March 25, making it 9 Months before Christmas. Thus, the Church celebrates the
Incarnation of the Lord on this day.
In the solemnity of the Annunciation, Church also honour
the Blessed Virgin Mary, who offered her Fiat to God, and freely surrounded
herself to the will of God. We celebrate and exalt Mary’s humility, obedience,
and docility to the will of God. We admire her sweetness and sanctify, her
availability and generosity to God. At the Annunciation, Angel Gabriel was
satisfied at Mary’s readiness and desire for God’s will to be done. Mary’s
response has become a model for the Church’s response to Jesus. The solemn
celebration of the Annunciation should rekindle our faith in Jesus, who was
Incarnate in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. And the joy of this
celebration echoes the joy we share with Mary in surrendering ourselves totally
to the will of God. Amen.
Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com
DAY 2: GABRIEL, THE BEARER OF GOODNEWS
The name Gabriel in Hebrew is
translated as “God is my strength,” “God is my strong man” or “hero of God.”
This angel is popularly known for delivering good news. He appeared to Daniel
to explain his visions (Dan 8:15-16; 9:21). He delivered the good news to
Zachariah about the birth of John the Baptist (Lk 1:19). Most importantly,
Gabriel announced to the Blessed Virgin Mary that she would conceive and give
birth to the Messiah, Jesus Christ (Lk 1:26-38). He is known as the bearer of
good news, the Angel of the Annunciation. Some traditions call him “Mary’s
Angel.” In the Icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, Angel Gabriel is seen on
the top right-hand corner holding a veil, the cross and four nails, and
appears to be descending towards Mary, whose head is slightly tilted towards
the angel.
“How beautiful on the mountains are
the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good
tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” (Is 52:7). Think about such a beautiful and gracious moment,
when Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, loaded with the good news of salvation. Unlike
Daniel and Zachariah, the Angel was more interactive with Mary; He was patient
enough to answer her question and give her the reassurance she needed.
Let us meditate and honor the Angel
Gabriel, the Angel of the Annunciation, as he stood before Mary as a true
messenger of God. Her position before Mary leads us forward in faith to humble
ourselves before her as the Mother of God. With Gabriel we recognize the
singular privilege God bestowed on this His lowly Handmaid. As fellow
messengers of God in our capacity, and as devotees to Our Mother of Perpetual
Help, we learn from Gabriel to interact with Mary as our Mother, and honor her
as the Mother of God. In this way, Mary will win for us the grace to be
effective messengers of God, bearing
that the Almighty has done great things for us. Amen.
Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com
DAY 3: MARY, OUR LADY OF THE ANNUNCIATION
The Annunciation of the Lord was a landmark event that gave the
Blessed Virgin Mary a unique and unparallel identity. Mary of Nazareth was
young virgin who kept herself for the Lord, hoping and believing that God would
send the Messiah to deliver His people. The Sacred Tradition of the Church
holds that she was the daughter of Joachim and Ann. Mary was conceived without
original sin; in keeping herself spotless, she embodied the entire of hope of
Israel for God’s deliverance. In the young virgin of Nazareth, we see the
perfect expression of the remnant of Israel, who were preserved and never
corrupted by the exile. That is why she
is called “The Daughter of Zion” (Zech 9:9). In her the hope of the prophets
for the Virgin birth of the Immanuel was fulfilled (Is 7:14).
In the mystery of the Annunciation, Mary’s faith bore its fruit,
her hope was fulfilled, and she actualized perfectly who God had prepared her
to be, even since after the fall of man (Gen 3:15). When the sound of Gabriel’s
heavenly voice rang in her ears, “She was greatly troubled at the saying, and
considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be.” Here we see how
her humility shined out, for, though she was a devout lady, she never
considered herself worthy of such venerable greeting and honor. The humble
shall be exalted. The highest honour bestowed on Mary in the Annunciation
reveals the depth of her humility. Mary is our Lady of the Annunciation, for
all her life was destined and prepared for this very moment, yet, God would not
act without her free consent.
In the Annunciation, the many virtues of Mary shine out; we see
her attentiveness, prayerfull recollection, humility, joy, submission to will
of God, purity, faith, hope, charity, detachment, and above all, her universal
motherhood. Mary praised God saying, “All generations will call me blessed, for
the Almighty has done great things for me, holy is His name” (Lk 1:48-49). This
prophetic message comes true as all generations comes to know her and
appreciate what the almighty has done through her. In addition, we learn from
her who gave her free consent to the will of God at the Annunciation. In this
way, Mary teaches us, as her devoted children, how to surrender our ego,
attachments, ideologies, authorities, situations in life, etc, to the will of
God, which often unfolds in ways we do no envisage.
May the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Lady of the Annunciation, help us
to surrender to God’s will, and bring Christ to world around us. Amen.
Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com
DAY 4: MARY, THE ATTENTIVE MOTHER
The Icon our
Mother of Perpetual Help depicts Mary in a contemplative mood. In the Icon,
Mary's left ear is attentively open. The Icon speaks of Mary as the
Attentive Mother. Mary listened attentively to the message of the Angel during
the Annunciation, that was why she asked for more clarifications. Her
attentiveness was part of her many virtues, for she had formed herself as one
who was ready to obey. This virtue requires that one does not ‘lock up’ the
heart, but ready and willing to understand and respond accordingly.
Think about
how readily people these days have low capacity for attentiveness! There is a
growing trend of insensitivity in our society. More often than not, we see
couples who are not attentive to the needs of their partner, but are locked up
in their ego and sentiments. To be attentive to God is to obey His commandments
and to do His will. To be attentive to others is basically to show compassion
and care. It is difficult to be attentive without love. So, to the extent that
we withdraw love from each other, to that extent are we not going to be
attentive to them. Anger and hatred deafen our ears against those around us,
but love opens our ears to hear God and our neighbor. So, in Mary’s
attentiveness to God, we see the depth of her love.
As we
meditate on the mystery of the Annunciation, we see how Angel Gabriel’s journey
to Nazareth was a huge success because Mary was docile and attentive. It was
such disposition that was needed for the will of God to reign over hers, and
for the power of God to overshadow her and consume her weakness. In this lowly
state, Mary was raised up and given ‘the highest honor of our race.’ The
quality of her attentiveness can be seen in her swift response to the needs of
Elizabeth. Did the Angel tell Mary to visit Elizabeth, and with such hurry? Now,
we can understand more deeply Mary’s virtue of attentiveness. Yes, the example
of Mary has shown that attentiveness to God will definitely translate into
attentiveness to our neighbor. So, Mary’s response to Elizabeth is a
manifestation of her wholehearted response to God. Therefore, let us learn from
the Blessed Virgin and be attentive to God, as the Icon of Our Mother of
Perpetual Help depicts. Then, we shall be attentive to our neighbor, and
respond to them with love and compassion. Amen.
Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com
DAY 5: MARY’S FIAT
After listening to all the message and explanations Angel Gabriel
gave to her, Mary gave her fiat, saying, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord;
let it be to me according to your word.” With these words Mary gave her free
consent; she surrendered her precious free will to the will of the Almighty.
Just before Mary offered her fiat, heaven was ready and waiting; Gabriel was
explaining and anticipating, and humanity, burdened by the weight of sin, was longing
for deliverance. The old history had exhausted its chronology, and the new
history was anticipating the fiat of Mary. Immediately, she offered her fiat,
the Angel’s job was done, and he left immediately; nothing more could be said
or added!
Let us meditate on how Mary’s fiat stands in contrast to the
disobedience of Adam and Eve. By disobeying God’s instruction that they should
not eat the forbidden fruits, Adam and Eve pulled their free will away from
God, and channeled it to themselves in selfishness. This was how they brought
sin and its consequences upon humanity (cf. Rm 5:12-19). Then, God laid out the
historic plan of salvation in Jesus Christ, to unturn the evil that creeped in
through human disobedience. The Annunciation of the Lord was the landmark event
that inaugurated the beginning of the realization of God’s plan for the
salvation of the world. As Mary said YES to the message of the Incarnation, God
found in her the obedience in humanity that would bring grace and righteousness
for the salvation of man.
Think about how great and powerful was Mary’s humble act of total
surrender to God. With such freedom and efficiency, she surrendered her ideas
and visions, her plans for life and marriage, and even faith and hope in God.
Thus, she offered back to God all that God had made her to be, and all that she
hoped to be! This is what every prompting of the Holy Spirit demands of us. It
is this kind of surrender to God that is the most appropriate response to most
unforeseen circumstances that come our way. All that Mary offered through her
fiat increased and multiplied; nothing given to God diminishes. Hence, Jesus
said, “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains only a
single grain; but if it dies it yields a rich harvest” (Jn 12:24). Let us learn
from Mary to our own fiat to God, then the Almighty will do great things for
us. Amen.
Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com
DAY
6: ANNUNCIATION OF HOPE: With God nothing is impossible
On this sixth day of our Novena in honor of the Annunciation of
the Lord, let us meditate on the hope that this celebrate brings. Of course,
the Annunciation is itself the fulfilment of the hope of salvation for it was
at that moment that Mary conceived our divine Lord. Nevertheless, since the
hope of believers does not diminish, this celebration gives us reassurance that
our hope shall not be in vain. When Mary asked the Angel, “How will this be,
since I do not know man?”, we see through her the yearnings of all of us, who
are seeking answers and assurances to the questions life has posed upon them. Sometimes
we find ourselves burdened with the question of whether our prayers are
answered, if a particular sin we committed can be forgiven, or if we can endure
certain discomforts. The Lowly Handmaid weighed the great message Angel Gabriel
announced to her against her humble state and wondered how this could be possible!
After explaining to Mary that she will conceive by the power of
God, and showing her the example of Elizabeth, the Angel to said to her, “For
with God nothing is impossible.” This statement answered all Mary’s doubts and
cancelled all her fears. At the same time, it purified her free will and
strengthened it for her fiat. By anchoring her hopes on the fact that with God
nothing is impossible, Mary understood without knowing perfectly what God
wanted of her. So, she questioned no more, and gave her ascent.
We are living in a country where corruption and injustice spread
their wings and give us no hope of better future. There is so much frustration
and depression, even among the younger people. Divorce and separation are
gradually becoming the trademark of marriage these days. It is easy these days
to give up faith, abandon prayer or jump from prayer house to the other. Most
of these are signs that we are perceiving impossibility in the situations we
find ourselves. As we draw closer to the Solemnity of the Annunciation, let us
pause and reflect on the power words the Angel said to Mary, “For with God
nothing is impossible.” Let us connect with Mary to these words, and view our
problems and situations through it.
Yes, with God we shall come out of every dark situation and see
the light. “I can do all this
through him who gives me strength” (Phil 4:13). Nothing is too hard for
God (Jer 32:17). There is no plan of God for you that can be thwarted (cf. Job
42:2). If the God of impossibilities is on your side, nothing shall come
against you (cf. Rm 8:31). May the Blessed Virgin Mary intercede for us,
reassure us that with God nothing is impossible. Amen.
Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com
DAY 7: ANNUNCIATION OF JOY: The Virgin will bear a
Son
The birth of a child is always a joyful news. As king Ahaz was
troubled with fear about the enemies that surrounded him, the Lord sent prophet
Isaiah to announce to him the good news that God was coming to deliver him. The
prophet gave the king a sign that God would come to save him and the people,
saying, “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his
name Immanuel” (Is 7:14). During the Annunciation, the Angel Gabriel said to
Mary, “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall
call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most
High.”
Mary knew that this was a great joyful news, but she was not
carried away with excitement at hearing it. Instead, she remained calm and
recollected, knowing that true joy comes through a due process. There is not
shortcut to joy, it must come through the right order and by our personal
commitment. So, she asked, “How will this be, since I do not know man?” Apart
from the joy that she would be mother of the Messiah, Mary’s heart lit with joy
as she realized that had taken notice of her lowly state and favored her. With
the Angel’s explanation, Mary realized that what God was asking of her was not
just for personal gain, but the salvation of the world. It must have been of a
great joy to her to have the opportunity to contribute to the fulfilment of
God’s promise to His people.
There are so many socio-political problems that readily dry our
joy away. Sin and selfishness have deepened the wound of sadness in many
people. How can the children of Mary, the joyful mother, be covered with
bitterness and anger? Joy will slip off our hands if we do not get to it
through the due process of sacrifice and personal commitment. Mary was a woman
who lived for God and for others. That was why she rejoiced greatly on hearing
that her cousin Elizabeth had conceived in her old age. Her capacity for joy
was so great because her heart was open to God and to her neighbor. Many people
today are inclined to sadness because their hearts are basically inclined to
their personal gains and comfort.
Yes, the Annunciation was a great moment of joy, even as the
liturgy relives the encounter. What great outpouring of joy it was when the
Holy Spirit came upon Mary! What a peaceful and joyful experience it was when
the power of the Most High overshadowed her. And the Incarnation of the divine
Son made Mary to burst forth with joy as she sang the Magnificat, saying, “My
soul glorifies the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (Lk 1:46-47). May
Our Mother of Perpetual Help intercede for us that we may have such great
capacity for joy, so as to contain divine joy and spark up joy in hearts that
come in contact with us today. Amen.
Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com
DAY 8: THE TESTIMONY OF THE ANNUNCIATION
After explaining to the
Blessed Virgin Mary that she would conceive by the power God, the Angel Gabriel
gave a testimony of what God can do, saying, “And behold, your kinswoman
Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month
with her who was called barren.” Yes, that God made it possible for the barren
woman to conceive testifies that God can do all things. This testimony was
meant to help Mary place her trust in the power of God for the message of the
Annunciation to come true, not in her ability to conceive, since she had no
husband.
Thus, Elizabeth’s story
became the testimony of the Annunciation to encourage Mary. Without realizing
it, while going through her pregnancy in her old age, Elizabeth did not know
that her story had become an encouragement for a greater story. However
inspiring Elizabeth’s conception might be, it was not meant for Mary to
replicate her story or to put her trust in her. It was to evoke her quick and
immediate response to God, who can do all things. Actually, such a heavenly
message, complete in itself since God Himself was therein, needed no external
testimony. Jesus said, “Even if I testify about Myself, my testimony is true,
for I know where I came from and where I am going” (Jn 8:14). However, since
God respects our free will, He had to ‘dialogue’ with Mary and convince her to
freely accept the divine Incarnation. This is where the story of Elizabeth
became an important part of the message of the Annunciation.
Think about the mood of the
Blessed Virgin Mary on hearing that Elizabeth, who had given up hope of
childbearing, was in her sixth month. “The Lord has done this, and it is
marvelous in our eyes” (Ps 118:23). Her heart lighted up; no doubt or life situation
could stop her free consent. Then, the echo of her fiat filtered throughout the
room, “…let it be to me according to your word.” If Elizabeth’s story could
inspire such response, how much more should Mary inspire us. She testifies that
the Almighty can do great things for us; His love extends from age to age, He
pulls down the proud and arrogant of heart but exalts the lowly. In our hunger,
Mary testifies that God feeds the starving poor. In our doubt and fears, she
assures us that God is faithful to His promises, even has He did to Abraham and
his descendants forever. As we invoke Mary’s maternal help, we took shall
testify, such that the testimony of our lives shall inspire a greater story in
lives of others. Amen.
Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com
DAY 9: THE MANIFESTATION OF THE TRINITY IN THE
ANNUNCIATION
Thank you all for following
our meditations in honour of the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord.
This solemnity marks the moment of the Incarnation of the Lord, whose birth
will be celebrated nine months to come. The nine topics we chose do not exhaust
all that could be said about this great mystery, but they are meant to lift up
our minds heart to appreciate, honor and connect to the specific graces of the
Annunciation. On this last day of our Novena, let us meditate, with as much
attention as we can, on the mystery of the Trinity as revealed in the
Annunciation.
In response to Mary’s
question, “How will this be, since I do not know man?” The Angel Gabriel said
to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High
will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the
Son of God.” This is one of the clearest revelation of the Trinity in the
Scriptures. Here, we see an identification of each of the Person of the
Trinity, but united in a single action. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is
identified from the overshadowing power of the Most High, and both are
identified from the Son of God. However, the Holy Spirit, the Father and the
Son are not separated from each other, for they are revealed in the one act of
the Annunciation, and they are participate in the singular act of the Incarnation.
The power of the Most High
took over Mary as His Daughter, the Holy Spirit dwelt within her as His Spouse,
and the Son of God took flesh in her as His Mother! Oh! How blessed is the
Virgin Mary who was so highly honored. Now we understand why the Angel greeted
her specially, saying, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you.” We remember
prophetic words of Elizabeth to Mary, “Of all women you are the most blessed,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb” (Lk 1:42). Thus, the Church calls her
‘Mother of God’, ‘Queen of Angels’, ‘Queen of all Believers’, ‘Mother of divine
Grace’, ‘Matter Ecclesia’, ‘Mother of Perpetual Help’, etc.
In the Annunciation, we see
how the One God, in His Trinity of Persons, speaks with one voice, executes one
action, and reveals Himself in one instant. Since we are created in God’s image
and likeness, He blesses with the gift of unity of mind, heart and the senses,
so that we can live in peace and be united with one another. Mary becomes our
model, indicating who we can become if we allow the power of the Almighty
Father to take control of our lives, open up our hearts to be sanctified and
prompted by the Holy Spirit, and we bear fruits of the righteousness of Jesus
(cf. Phil 1:11). Amen.
Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com
