The Two Announcements at the Annunciation

At the Annunciation, the archangel Saint Gabriel made one of the most important announcements from Heaven of human history, namely informing Our Blessed Mother that she would conceive the Son of God by the power of the Holy Spirit and be the Mother of Our Lord and Savior. It is sometimes overlooked that there was a second announcement in that most significant meeting between Saint Gabriel and Our Blessed Mother.

The first announcement at the Annunciation involves the Incarnation of Our Lord. The First Chapter of St. Luke’s Gospel relates how the archangel Saint Gabriel visits Mary, a virgin betrothed to Joseph who is living in the town of Nazareth. “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God,” he says to her. “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:30-33).

Mary is quite surprised and astonished at this announcement by Heaven’s Messenger Saint Gabriel. “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” she asks in reply. Her response is not a lack of faith but a lack of understanding. To which Saint Gabriel explains, “The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God” (Luke 1:34-35).

And then comes Saint Gabriel’s second announcement. “And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God,” Saint Gabriel informs her (Luke 1:36-37).

Here in the 21st Century with our instant communication and access to information, it is easy to forget how different a world that Our Blessed Mother lived in two millennia ago. In Our Blessed Mother’s day, there were no phones, no text messages, no e-mails and no social media for people to use to communicate with each other. News travelled only as fast as a horse or human could run or walk or a ship could sail. Thus Our Blessed Mother finds out about her cousin’s miraculous pregnancy from Saint Gabriel because word had not reached her yet through the regular means of communication of that time.

Saint Gabriel’s announcement about Elizabeth’s pregnancy reassures Our Blessed Mother of authenticity of his announcement that Mary herself will conceive a child miraculously. His second announcement thus supports and authenticates his first announcement. “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word,” Mary says to Saint Gabriel (Luke 1:38).

Saint Gabriel’s second announcement prompts Mary to travel to visit with Elizabeth and Zechariah.

Saint Gabriel’s two announcements work in tandem, informing Mary of miraculous occurrences, inspiring her with faith and motivating her to action. She accepts the mission entrusted to her by God and then heads to see her cousin and support her during her pregnancy. And then in nine months’ time, another Heavenly message will reverberate across the Millennia: “For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord” (Luke 2:11).