PAPAL DESIRE TO VISIT HOLY LAND March 25
(EWTNews) The desire of the Holy Father to make a special Jubilee pilgrimage to the Holy
Land was "closely linked to the Incarnation of the Word of God, the event which the
Holy Year of 2000 directly recalls." The Solemnity of the Annunciation, which falls
on March 25 this year, was the reason for choosing the dates of the Holy Fathers
pilgrimage to Nazareth, the holy place of the Incarnation of the Word. As Pope John Paul
II said, "I very much want to visit Nazareth, the town linked to the actual moment of
the Incarnation and the place where Jesus grew in wisdom, age and grace before God
and men (Lk 2:52). Here Mary heard the Angel's greeting: Hail, O full of
grace, the Lord is with you! (Lk 1:28). Here Mary spoke her fiat to the
message that called her to be mother of the Saviour and, overshadowed by the Holy Spirit,
to become the womb that would welcome the Son of God."
The liturgy of The Solemnity of the Annunciation celebrates the
memorial of what took place in the house of Nazareth. Where Mary, who was "full of
grace" and "the handmaid of the Lord", said "yes" to Gods
plan of salvation (Lk 1:26-28). Her "fiat" enabled Emmanuel to take on
our flesh (Is 7:10-14), that He too might do the will of the Father, offering His
own life in sacrifice (Heb 10:4-10)."
|