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The Annunciation

March 25th is the Feast of the Annunciation, so called because on this day, the archangel Gabriel announces the birth of Christ to the Virgin Mary. Also called Lady Day in the English speaking world, this is one of the most important Marian feasts.

Origins

I could tell you where Lady Day comes from, but someone else has already done a much better job of explaining it than I could. So let's read together.
The Meaning of the Annunciation

The passage from Luke's Gospel is also the first Joyous Mystery of the Rosary, which is the beginning of the Rosary as a whole. Its prominent place in Catholic devotional practice shows its importance. Like the rest of the Bible, this Gospel will reveal much to meditation. Still, we should talk a bit about the central idea here, which is contained in Mary's words:

Mary is the New Eve. The original Eve was tempted by a demon, and said Yes to power, and was, therefore, expelled from Paradise. The New Eve is tempted by an Angel, and says Yes to humility and, ultimately, suffering; for this, she is exalted above all creatures. This reversal is at the heart of Christianity and the heart of Christian mysticism. Lucifer is a mighty seraph, but that isn't enough for him; he wants to be God Himself. In his pride he rebels against the tyranny of Heaven, and is cast down. An ordinary angel refuses mighty Lucifer, asking "Who is like God?" He is raised up made prince of the Heavenly Host, and "Who Is Like God"-- in Hebrew, Micha-El-- becomes his name. Over and over we see this; as the Magnificat tells us,

Now, Mary is the model for all Christians. We are all called to say "Behold the servant of the Lord." What this means is that we empty ourselves of attachment to worldly things, and in so doing open ourselves to Divine Grace. Mary herself is the fullness of grace, which is the meaning of Gabriel's opening words to her: Ave, gratia plena. By imitating her, we become like her, and share in the grace that is hers.

The Wheel of the Year

The Annunciation is coordinate with the Spring Equinox. Notice its 3 counterparts: Saint John's Day on June 24th; Saint Michael and All Angels on September 29th; and Christmas on December 25th. These are the four quarters of the year, and Christians have the option of celebrating them instead of the solstices and equinoxes as such, or of rolling the latter into the Christian holidays.

Notice the 4 figures that stand at the quarters of the year. We have Jesus himself at the Winter Solstice; Mary at Spring; John the Baptist at Summer; and St. Michael the Archangel at Autumn. Now, given that Jesus is not a saint, when we consider it from this point of view, it might be better to place St. John the Evangelist at the Winter quarter, opposite his counterpart, St. John the Baptist. The symbolism of these four figures-- Jesus (or John), Mary, John, Michael-- are linked in very interesting ways. Here again, I won't spoil it for you-- spend some time unlocking the symbolism in meditation.

Traditional Celebrations

In many parts of the Catholic world, the Annunciation marked the beginning of the year. In England it marked the start of the year until 1752, even after the Reformation had done away with as much that was good and interesting as possible.

Annunciation customs are often associated with Spring and the sewing of the fields. In Russia, the priests would bless bread and give it to the people. Families would share their Annunciation Bread in silence, and then take the crumbs to the fields, where they were sprinkled as a protection against, blight, hail, and frost. Similar customs prevailed in Central Europe. Here, an icon of the annunciation was placed in a barrel of grain, and a suitable prayer said, such as this one:

After this, the grain could be sown in the fields.

Suggestions for Practice

Lady Day's symbols are the annunciation itself, Mary and her mission and nature, the beginning of Spring and the sowing of the fields.

Obviously, prayer directed toward Mary is particularly appropriate today. The Angelus is a great, simple prayer which is based on the Annunciation itself.

The Angelus


A Feast of Grain

Most of us don't have grain to sow in the fields, but we can share in the symbolism of this aspect of the traditional celebration in other ways. If you bake bread, this is a good day for it. Once the loaf is ready, you can bless it, using the methods of blessing objects that I've previously given here, and share it with your family. A bit can be sit aside and placed in the yard or garden as a blessing.

Lady Day Bread

Ingredients:

3 Cups flour
12 ounces warm water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Fleischmann's bread yeast*

*or whatever bread yeast you like. I prefer Fleischmann's because it's also good for making mead!

Step 1. Add yeast to water and let it set for a few minutes.
Step 2. Mix flour and salt in a bowl.
Step 3. Add water to flour. Mix thoroughly.

Now, every bread recipe will tell you to do things just a little bit differently at this point. I just use the wooden spoon I've been using the whole time to mix and knead the bread for a few minutes. Others will tell you to knead it by hand for seven minutes. Or you can just mix it lightly and let it set overnight. It's your call.

Step 4. Cover dough with a clean towel. and set it in a warm place to rise. Pro-tip: If it's summertime and you want your bread to rise quickly, set it in your car!
Step 5. After an hour or two, turn dough out onto a floured cutting board. Use your hands to form it into a ball, then flatten it, then ball it up again, 3 or 4 times. Then cover it.
Step 6. Cover bread and set oven to 450 degrees.
Step 7. When the oven hits 450, uncover your bread and place it on a floured pan. Yes, you can use a dutch oven or a cast iron or whathaveyou, but you can also use the same pan you use to bake cookies and your kid's chicken nuggets. (I'm telling you this because food blogs will try to make it sound complicated. It's not complicated. It's the easiest thing in the world.) Put it in the oven. Then turn the oven down to 375 degrees, and bake for 40-45 minutes.

Why do you turn the oven down? That's something I read about in John Michael Greer's book The Encyclopedia of Natural Magic. Apparently it helps form the crust. I thought that was cool, so it's how I always do it.

Step 8. Let the bread cool down for at least 30 minutes before you cut it. Then slice and eat.

A Prayer for Blessing Bread

Here is a simple prayer for the blessing of bread, from Catholic Online:

A simple practice might be to say that prayer over your bread, then serve it at dinner along with a suitable discussion of the Feast of the Annunciation, perhaps reading the relevant passage from Luke.

Annunciation Prayer and Blessing of Bread, Full Form

1. Open with the Sign of the Cross, opening prayers, holy water and incense. Have your bread for blessing on your altar or prayer table, wrapped in a cloth.

2. Pray a suitable Confiteor. Take some time to visualize your sins. Imagine God's purifying fire descending from Heaven, scouring them from your soul.

3. Read the passage from the Gospel of Luke that I shared above. Enter into meditation for some time.

4. When you feel ready, unwrap the bread and pray the Angelus. At the words, "Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts," bow your head, raise your hands, and visualize a column of light descending from Heaven, pouring into your heart.

5. Then bless the bread using the prayer of blessing given above. While doing so, hold your hands over it, and imagine the same light pouring forth into the bread, filling it with Divine Fire.

6. Close with a suitable prayer. The Fatima prayer, Come Holy Spirit, or Prayer of Saint Francis are always good options, but today, the Magnificat might be the best option: 
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