As yesterday, today we are invited once again to recall and meditate on the Annunciation to Mary. We Catholics are often accused of honouring Mary too much and those who do not share the fullness of our faith even erroneously, of course, accuse us of worshipping her.

The simple fact of reading the Gospel of the Annunciation on two consecutive days in Advent, as well as on other feast days throughout the year is a reminder that if we truly appreciate the gift of God's son as our redeemer, we can never meditate too frequently on Mary's generous and courageous love and freedom of Mary in accepting God's invitation to be the mother of Jesus.

We, of course, live in the time after Jesus' resurrection and so we are enlightened by our Easter faith in the fullness of redemption which Jesus won for us by his death and resurrection. This enlightenment may often somewhat affect our appreciation of the tremendous courage which the Annunciation and God's calling required of Mary. If only we were as generous and courageous in answering Jesus' call to be his disciples and apostles!