The heart of the Annunciation is the identity of Jesus and the revelation of God's plan for the salvation of the world. It is our belief that Jesus' mission on earth is that of the suffering Messiah who surrendered Himself totally to the will of God.

As disciples of Jesus, we are called to surrender ourselves wholeheartedly to God's will. Yet, we know this surrender will be accompanied by the presence of the Holy Spirit, who prompts us daily in our responses to the present reality. How do we respond to the Covid-19 pandemic? Is our faith in God's omnipresent care and love for us evident in our lives amidst such a pandemic?

By meditating on the Annunciation event, we get our energy from Mary's openness to God's will in her total 'Yes' to God's plan, followed by her corresponding out-reach to Elizabeth in the 'Visitation' account. Just like Mary, we want to respond to God's invitation to the various challenges we face at this time of our history. Is our relationship with God in resonance with our daily responses to the present situations?

Perhaps let our spiritual practices be a reflection of what is described in the first reading - a good example of communal prayer to discern how we can be obedient to God's will for us as individuals and as a community of believers.

Today the Church invites us to renew ourselves by discerning God's will in our daily lives. Mother Mary is a good example to imitate!