Of all the paintings depicting the Annunciation, the one that holds a special appeal for me is the Fra Angelico fresco in the Convent of S. Marco in Florence. Through the simplicity of his work, the master artist captures the wonder of the angelic announcement to Mary that she is to give birth to Jesus. In the tranquillity and openness of Mary's expression, the artist evokes her receptivity to the angel's message: "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God."
The purity and innocence of the Virgin Mary made her respond to such improbable news with complete trust in God. It is recorded in Luke's Gospel that she said, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." 1 Through this response we see her self-awareness in her complete submission to God's will.
Christ Jesus came into the world to save mankind from the sins and limitations of mortality and to show men and women the reality of their God-given inheritance as sons and daughters of God. He came to proclaim that God is the Father of all.
