Annunciation

The solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, celebrated nine months before Christmas, is assigned to March 25 on the church’s General Calendar, but this year, that celebration might be changed to a different day.

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“Mary has modeled for us the means of uttering a trusting ‘yes’ even when it comes with a hint of fear, or a breath of doubt.”

“Pondering the Gospel scene of the Annunciation prepares us to welcome the newborn Jesus through the eyes of the graced woman who prepared most intimately for our Lord’s birth, his mother Mary.”

Signing his document dedicated to young people, faith and discernment, Pope Francis said Mary, the mother of God, is a source of inspiration and strength for everyone who seeks to understand their vocation and remain faithful to it.

The pope will sign the document in the basilica housing the shrine March 25, the feast of the Annunciation. But the Vatican said the post-synodal apostolic exhortation — titled “Christ, Our Hope, Lives” — would not be made public until a later date.