The Eclipse and the Annunciation

On Monday, most of the US experienced at least a partial solar eclipse while some parts experienced totality, where the moon completely covers the sun for about 3 to 4 minutes. The Church also celebrated the Annunciation on Monday, since March 25th fell during Holy Week this year. The moon has often been used as a symbol of the Virgin Mary, due to the fact that just as the moon reflects the light of the sun at night, Mary reflects the light of Her Son, Jesus Christ, both during Her life on earth and even now in heaven. The significance of this eclipse falling on the Solemnity of the Annunciation causes us to reflect on Mary’s role in salvation history and Her obedience to God and responsiveness to the Holy Spirit, leading up to Her bearing the Son of God in Her womb.

Ever since Her childhood, Mary had been full of grace, having been conceived immaculately, and was presented in the temple by Sts. Ann and Joachim to be raised there at a young age. Her whole life had been leading up to the moment where She gave Her fiat and conceived Jesus in Her womb at the Annunciation, in a way mirroring the gradual movement that the moon makes toward the sun during a solar eclipse. As Mary grew closer and closer to the moment that She would conceive, She gradually worked Her way toward seemingly eclipsing the divinity of God as He became a man inside of Her. At the moment of conception, it seemed that the light and divinity of God had become hidden as Jesus remained for nine months in Mary’s womb. And yet, the Son still reflected Himself through Mary, just as the outside of the sun, or the corona, could be seen around the edges of the moon during the moments of totality in the eclipse. And as totality ended and the moon moved away, it slowly exposed the sun once again, just as Mary did as She gave birth to Jesus and then raised Him until the time of His public ministry.

As we observe natural phenomena such as a solar eclipse, we are reminded how great our God is and that everything in nature points us to Him. We are also reminded that He causes no coincidences as we reflect on a solar eclipse falling on such a special day as the Solemnity of the Annunciation. Everything happens for a reason, and these events falling on the same day brings us to meditate on the truths of our Faith and how God uses things we can see to lead us to the understanding of things we don’t see.