When the angel came to Mary, he said, “Rejoice, favored one! The Lord is with you!” 

She was confused by these words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Mary. God is honoring you. Look! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and he will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of David his father. He will rule over Jacob’s house forever, and there will be no end to his kingdom.” -Luke 1:28-33

 

It’s Annunciation Day! Haven’t heard of it? That’s okay. The Annunciation is the name the church has given to the interaction between Mary of Nazareth and the angel Gabriel– the story you probably do know, of when the angel came to Mary to share God’s plan for her to become the mother of Jesus. 

Early on in church history, sometime in the 5th or 6th century, Christians decided we should celebrate the day of this announcement (see, "announcement" sounds like “Annunciation”).  Since the church was already celebrating the birth of Jesus on December 25, somebody did a bit of quick math, and boom! The date of the Annunciation was fixed nine months before Christmas, on March 25. The Feast of the Annunciation, or Annunciation Day, has often been celebrated with worship, feasting, and, most important to the medieval and renaissance Christians, a day off work!

While modern Christians, especially Protestants, don’t observe Annunciation Day with the same fervor as our predecessors in the faith might have done, we can still learn a thing or two from our siblings in the faith.

For one thing, celebrating the beginning matters as much as the end. First day at a new job? Just as important as a retirement party. First time trying a hobby? Just as worth celebrating as the day you feel like an expert. First day sober? Just as big a deal as 10 years clean. The beginning matters. The beginning is worth recognition. Even more than that, the beginning is worth paying attention to. The outcome we end up with depends on the beginning we start from. Beginning well changes the journey and the destination.

For another thing, the Annunciation reminds us that God is present in what might seem like little things, even private things. It’s easy to feel like the ordinary little things of our lives are too insignificant to catch God’s attention. The Annunciation is an entire day celebrating a pregnancy (okay, a special pregnancy, but still)! The early Christians decided that Mary’s pregnancy announcement was worth feasting and taking a day off work just to commemorate it. God cares about everyday things: your day at work, your neighborhood, your family, your book club, your softball team, your garden. Nothing is too insignificant for God’s care.

This Annunciation Day, maybe you start something new. Maybe you recognize the new beginnings already undertaken. Maybe you look for ways to see that God is present in the parts of your life that seem insignificant. Maybe you go read the rest of Luke 1, a chapter full of good beginnings and God’s unexpected presence. However you observe this day: Happy Annunciation!