Difference between revisions of "Annunciation" - New World Encyclopedia

From New World Encyclopedia
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[[Image:Lepota.jpg|thumb|250px|A key piece of the Paleologan Mannerism - the Annunciation icon from [[Ohrid]].]]
 
[[Image:Lepota.jpg|thumb|250px|A key piece of the Paleologan Mannerism - the Annunciation icon from [[Ohrid]].]]
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The '''Annunciation''', in Christian tradition, is the announcement or proclamation to [[Mary, the mother of Jesus]] by the [[archangel Gabriel]] that she would [[conception|conceive]] a child to be born as the [[Son of God]]. Annunciations were also given by angels to the mother of Samuel (Judges 13:5) and the Father of John the Baptist (Luke 1:13), and by God to [[Abraham]] the father of [[Isaac]] (Genesis 17:19) and [[Rebekah]] the mother of [[Jacob]] and [[Esau]] (Genesis 25:23).
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The '''Annunciation''', also known as the '''Annunciation to Mary''', is the announcement or proclamation to [[Mary, the mother of Jesus]] by the [[archangel Gabriel]] that she would [[conception|conceive]] a child to be born as the [[Son of God]]. Annunciations were also given to several parents of sons in the [[Hebrew
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Bible]], as well as to [[Zechariah]], the father of [[John the Baptist]] in the [[Gospel of Luke]].
  
 
[[Christian]] churches, particularly within the [[Orthodox]] and [[Roman Catholic]] traditions, celebrate the Annunciation to [[Mary]] with the feast of the Annunciation on March 25. Since it occurs 9 months before the birth (or [[Nativity]]) of Jesus on [[Christmas]] Day, the Annunciation also marks the actual [[Incarnation (Christianity)|Incarnation]] of Jesus Christ. The date of the Annunciation also once marked the [[New Year]] in some places in the Christian world, including [[England]] (where it is called ''[[Lady Day]]''). The traditional location of the Annunciation is in the town of [[Nazareth, Israel]], where is currently located the [[Church of the Annunciation]]. The feast of Annunciation has been celebrated since the fifth century [[Christian Era| CE]].
 
[[Christian]] churches, particularly within the [[Orthodox]] and [[Roman Catholic]] traditions, celebrate the Annunciation to [[Mary]] with the feast of the Annunciation on March 25. Since it occurs 9 months before the birth (or [[Nativity]]) of Jesus on [[Christmas]] Day, the Annunciation also marks the actual [[Incarnation (Christianity)|Incarnation]] of Jesus Christ. The date of the Annunciation also once marked the [[New Year]] in some places in the Christian world, including [[England]] (where it is called ''[[Lady Day]]''). The traditional location of the Annunciation is in the town of [[Nazareth, Israel]], where is currently located the [[Church of the Annunciation]]. The feast of Annunciation has been celebrated since the fifth century [[Christian Era| CE]].
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In the [[New Testament]], the official account of the Annunciation to Mary is narrated in '''Luke 1:26-38''' (NIV):
 
In the [[New Testament]], the official account of the Annunciation to Mary is narrated in '''Luke 1:26-38''' (NIV):
  
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<blockquote>In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
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[[Image:Annunciation.jpg|250px|thumbnail|The Annunciation, by [[El Greco]] (1575)]]
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''Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, <sup>33</sup>and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."
 
  
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''"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"'' ''The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God."''
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{{cquote|In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
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''"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.''''</p></blockquote>
 
  
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After hearing this words, Mary left immediate to the home of Elizabeth and her husband, the priest Zechariah. There she remained for several months, retuning to Nazareth visibly pregnant.
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Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."
  
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==Annunciation in the Old Testament==
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"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God."
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The Old Testament records an annunciation in '''Genesis 16:7-11''' prior to the birth of Ishmael<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2016:7-11&version=31 Genesis 16:7-11]</ref>and "an annunciation" as well when God spoke later directly to Abraham in regards to his wife Sara in '''Genesis 17:15-16'''.<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2017:15-16;&version=31; Genesis 17:15-16]</ref>
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"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.|20px|}}
  
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There is also the account prior to the birth of Samson of an "angel of the Lord" appearing to the wife of Zorah - a woman "who was sterile and remained childless."<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Judges%2013:2-4;&version=31; Judges 13:2-4]</ref>
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After hearing this words, Mary left immediate to the home of Elizabeth and her husband, the priest Zechariah. There she remained for several months, retuning to Nazareth visibly pregnant.
  
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And in '''Isaiah 7:14''' there is found what appears to be the prophecy of the Annunciation to Mary:
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==Annunciation in the Hebrew Bible==
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The [[Hebrew Bible]], or [[Old Testament]], records several annunciations. An annunciation was given by an angel to the Egyptian slave [[Hagar]] in Genesis 16:7-11 prior to the birth of Ishmael {Genesis 16:7-11}.  God himself announced the birth of Isaac to his father Abraham in Genesis 17:15-16. [[Rebekah]], the mother of [[Jacob]] and [[Esau]], receives a prediction from [[Yahweh|the Lord]] regarding the birth of her twins in (Genesis 25:23). In addition, an angel prophesies to the mother of Samson concerning the miraculous conception and birth of her son (Judges 13:5).
  
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''"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel."''
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Finally, in Isaiah 7:14 a prophecy is given of concerning the birth of a child called Immanuel: "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin {young woman} will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." Christians see this prophecy as having been fulfilled at the time of [[Jesus]]. However, Jews insist that the context shows that Immanuel was born in Isaiah's day, since the prophecy was delivered to King [[Ahaz of Judah]] and was fulfilled while this king was still living (Isaiah 7:17).
  
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==Eastern Traditions and Calendar Concerns==
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==Traditions concerning the Annunciation==
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In [[Eastern Orthodox]]y Mary is referred to as [[Theotokos]] ("god bearer" ; "the one who gives birth to God"; and less precisely, "Mother of God").
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[[Image:Damiane4.jpg|thumb|left|200px|The Annunciation, mural from [[Ubisi]], [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]]]]
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The term "Mother of God" caused a great deal of controversy in the early church (See [[Nestorianism]]) as some Christians found it to be a blasphemous doctrine.
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Although the Annunciation is a key event to most Christian, the feast of the Annunciation has an especially important place in Eastern Orthodox theology, in which Mary is referred to as ("god bearer"). In addition, the feast of the Annunciation in the [[Greek Orthodox Church]] also marks a day of national celebration in Greek and for those of Greek descent, as it was on March 25, 1821, that Greece officially declared its independence after 400 years of rule by the [[Ottomans]].
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The feast of the Annunciation, as the action initiating the [[Incarnation (Christianity)|Incarnation of Christ]], has an important place in Eastern Orthodox theology such that the ''Feast of the Annunciation'' within the Divine Liturgy of St. [[John Chrysostom]] is always celebrated on March 25th, regardless of what day it falls on. In addition, the Feast of the Annunciation in the [[Greek Orthodox Church]] also marks a day of national celebration for Greece and those of Greek descent as it was on March 25, 1821, that Greece officially declared its independence after 400 years of rule by the [[Ottomans]].
 
  
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[[Image:Annunciation.jpg|left|thumbnail|The Annunciation, by [[El Greco]] (1575)]]
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The date of the feast of the Annunciation is close to the [[vernal equinox]], as Christmas is to the [[December solstice|winter solstice]]. Because of this, the Annunciation and Christmas were two of the four "[[Quarter days]]" in medieval and early modern England, which marked the divisions of the fiscal year (the other two were [[Midsummer Day]], or the Nativity of [[St. John the Baptist]]—June 24—and [[Michaelmas]], the feast day of [[St. Michael]], on September 29).
  
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In the Roman Catholic and [[Lutheran]] [[liturgical calendar]], the feast of the Annunciation is moved, if necessary, to prevent it from either falling on a Sunday (because Sundays at that time of year are of the highest liturgical rank), or during ''Holy'' (or Easter) Week.  To avoid a Sunday before ''Holy Week'', the next day (March 26) would be observed instead. In years when March 25 falls during Holy Week, the Annunciation is moved to the Monday (then referred to as ''Low Monday'') after the [[Octave of Easter]], a week after the Sunday which is Easter.  
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The first historical allusions to the feast are in a canon of the [[council of Toledo]] (656), and another of the council of Constantinople "in Trullo" (692), forbidding the celebration of all festivals in Lent, excepting the Lord's day and the Feast of the Annunciation. An earlier origin has been claimed for it on the grounds that it is mentioned in sermons of [[Athanasius]] and of [[Gregory Thaumaturgus]], but both of these documents are now considered spurious by critical scholars.
  
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The Eastern churches ([[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]], [[Oriental Orthodoxy|Oriental]] and [[Eastern Catholic Churches|Eastern Catholic]]) do not move the date of the feast of the Annunciation under any circumstance. They have special combined liturgies for those years when the Annunciation coincides with another feast. In these churches, even on [[Good Friday]] a liturgy is celebrated when it coincides with the Annunciation.
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A synod held at [[Worcester]], England (1240), forbade all servile work on this feast day.
  
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The date of the feast of the Annunciation is close to the [[vernal equinox]], as Christmas is to the [[December solstice|winter solstice]]. Because of this, the Annunciation and Christmas were two of the four "[[Quarter days]]" in medieval and early modern England, which marked the divisions of the fiscal year (the other two were [[Midsummer Day]], or the Nativity of [[St. John the Baptist]]—June 24—and [[Michaelmas]], the feast day of [[St. Michael]], on September 29).
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==Two churches in Nazareth==
  
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The first authentic allusions to the feast are in a canon of the [[council of Toledo]] (656), and another of the council of Constantinople "in Trullo" (692), forbidding the celebration of all festivals in Lent, excepting the Lord's day and the Feast of the Annunciation. An earlier origin has been claimed for it on the grounds that it is mentioned in sermons of [[Athanasius]] and of [[Gregory Thaumaturgus]], but both of these documents are now considered spurious. A synod held at [[Worcester]], England (1240), forbade all servile work on this feast day. [[Image:Damiane4.jpg|thumb|The Annunciation, mural from [[Ubisi]], [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]]]]
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As Mary was reportedly living in Nazareth at the time of the Annunciation, the place of the event has become a matter of some importance as well as controversy. There are two churches in Nazareth, each operated by a different Christian denomination, each  believing their church to be the location of Gabriel's visit:
  
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==Two Churches in Nazareth==
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[[Image:Nazareth Church of the Annunciation.jpg|thumb|250px|The Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth]]
  
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As Mary was living in Nazareth at the time of the Annunciation, the place of the event has become a matter of some importance as well as controversy, despite the fact that no actual records survive that might shed some light on the exact location. There are two churches in Nazareth, each operated by a different Christian group, each  believing their church to be the location of Gabriel's visit:
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*The Basilica of the Annunciation: This is considered the most impressive architectural and artistic monument in the town of Nazareth. It is a Roman Catholic [[basilica]], built over a crypt which encloses the Grotto of the Virgin where one tradition states that the Annunciation occurred. It is the latest of five churches on this site. The first was built in 365 C.E. by [[St. Helena]], the mother of the [[Emperor Constantine I]]. The fifth, a Franciscan church, was dismantled in 1955 to make room for the present basilica which was completed in 1969.
  
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*The Basilica of the Annunciation: This is "the most impressive architectural and artistic monument in the town" of Nazareth. It is a Roman Catholic basilica, built over a crypt which encloses the Grotto of the Virgin where one tradition states that the Annunciation occurred. It is the latest of five churches on this site. The first was built in 365 C.E. by Helen, the mother of the Emperor Constantine. The fifth, a Franciscan church, was dismantled in 1955 to make room for the present basilica which was completed in 1969.
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*Church of St. Gabriel: This complex is composed of a church together with the site known as Mary's Well. Some of the New Testament Apocrypha indicate that the well was the actual location of the Annunciation. The church was completed in the middle of the eighteenth century by the [[Greek Orthodox Church]].
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*Church of St. Gabriel: This complex is composed of a church, and Mary's Well. Some of the apocryphal gospels state that the well was the actual location of the Annunciation. The church was completed in the middle of the 18th century by the Greek Orthodox Church.<ref>[http://www.religioustolerance.org/intol_holy.htm Religioustolerance.org Christianity, Islam, Judaism in conflict
 
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in Jesus' home town]</ref>
 
  
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<p>In the late 1990's there was considerable tension between the Christian and Muslim inhabitants of Nazareth over a plan to build a mosque on a plot of land adjacent both locations (though closer to the Basilica), but owned by a Muslim trust. In the end, the Israeli government advanced a compromise for the plot of land, a purported sacred burial site of Sha'ab El-Din, a nephew of [[Saladin]].                                                                              <ref>[http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/1999/12/25/MN100052.DTL Unrest in Nazareth; Christian-Muslim dispute over holy site tempers spirit of season;]San Francisco Chronicle; December 25, 1999</ref><ref>[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9804E2D71F3BF933A15757C0A96F958260  Israel Sets Forth Compromise Plan on Nazareth Mosque Dispute] New York Times; Published: April 20, 1999</ref>
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In the late 1990's there was considerable tension between the Christian and Muslim inhabitants of Nazareth over a plan to build a mosque on a plot of land adjacent both locations (though closer to the Basilica), but owned by a Muslim trust. In the end, the Israeli government advanced a compromise for the plot of land, a purported sacred burial site of Sha'ab El-Din, a nephew of [[Saladin]].                                                                              <ref>[http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/1999/12/25/MN100052.DTL Unrest in Nazareth; Christian-Muslim dispute over holy site tempers spirit of season;]San Francisco Chronicle; December 25, 1999</ref>
  
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==Annunciation in the [[Quran (Koran)]]==
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==Annunciation in the Qur'an==
  
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The Annunciation to Mary is also cited in the Quran, in chapters 3 ('''Aal 'Imran - The Family of Imran''') verses 45-51 and 19 (Maryam - Mary) verses 16-26.<ref>[http://quran.islamicnetwork.com/quran.php?q=3 Quran, Aal-E-Imran, Chapter 3]</ref><ref>[http://quran.islamicnetwork.com/quran.php?q=19 Quran, Maryam, Chapter 19]</ref> Christians comment that this account, while recognizing Mary as the purified woman chosen to be the mother of the promised Messiah and noting Jesus as an important prophet, nevertheless contradicts the Biblical account; failing to mention or insinuate that Jesus is the son of God.<ref>[http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0607019.htm "Mary not just for Catholics anymore"] Catholic News Service; December 8, 2006.</ref>Muslims counter that nowhere in the Christian Bible is there a whole book named after Mary herself and that the two accounts are, in essence, the same.<ref>[http://www.jamaat.net/cis/ChristInIslam.html Christ in Islam] by Sheikh Ahmed Deedat</ref>
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The Annunciation to Mary is also cited in the [[Qur'an]], in chapter 3 (''Aal 'Imran'') verses 45-51 and chapter 19 (Maryam - Mary) verses 16-26.<ref>[http://quran.islamicnetwork.com/quran.php?q=3 Quran, Aal-E-Imran, Chapter 3]</ref><ref>[http://quran.islamicnetwork.com/quran.php?q=19 Quran, Maryam, Chapter 19]</ref> While these passages recognize Mary as the virginal young woman chosen to be the mother of the promised [[Messiah]] they omit any reference to Jesus as Son of God, a doctrine contrary to Islamic doctrine.
  
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===From chapter 3===
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[3:45] ''(Remember) when the angels said: "O Maryam (Mary)! Verily, Allâh gives you the glad tidings of a Word ("Be!" - and he was! i.e. 'Isâ (Jesus) the son of Maryam (Mary)) from Him, his name will be the Messiah 'Isâ (Jesus), the son of Maryam (Mary), held in honor in this world and in the Hereafter, and will be one of those who are near to Allâh."''
  
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[45] ''(Remember) when the angels said: "O Maryam (Mary)! Verily, Allâh gives you the glad tidings of a Word ("Be!" - and he was! i.e. 'Isâ (Jesus) the son of Maryam (Mary)) from Him, his name will be the Messiah 'Isâ (Jesus), the son of Maryam (Mary), held in honor in this world and in the Hereafter, and will be one of those who are near to Allâh."''
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[3:46] ''"He will speak to the people in the cradle and in manhood, and he will be one of the righteous."''
  
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[46] ''"He will speak to the people in the cradle and in manhood, and he will be one of the righteous."''
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[3:47] ''She said: "O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me." He said: "So (it will be) for Allâh creates what He wills. When He has decreed something, He says to it only: "Be!" - and it is.''
  
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[47] ''She said: "O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me." He said: "So (it will be) for Allâh creates what He wills. When He has decreed something, He says to it only: "Be!" - and it is.''
 
  
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===From chapter 19===
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[19:16] ''And mention in the Book (the Qur'ân, O Muhammad (peace be upon him) the story of) Maryam (Mary), when she withdrew in seclusion from her family to a place facing east.''
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[[Image:Armenian annunciation.jpg|thumb|200px|An [[Armenia]]n miniature from the [[Roslin Gospel]]s, 1287.]]
 
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[16] ''And mention in the Book (the Qur'ân, O Muhammad (peace be upon him) the story of) Maryam (Mary), when she withdrew in seclusion from her family to a place facing east.''
 
  
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[17] ''She placed a screen (to screen herself) from them; then We sent to her Our Ruh (angel Jibrîl (Gabriel)) and he appeared before her in the form of a man in all respects.''
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[19:17] ''She placed a screen (to screen herself) from them; then We sent to her Our Ruh (angel Jibrîl (Gabriel)) and he appeared before her in the form of a man in all respects.''
  
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[18] ''She said: "Verily! I seek refuge with the Most Gracious (Allâh) from you, if you do fear Allâh."''
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[19:18] ''She said: "Verily! I seek refuge with the Most Gracious (Allâh) from you, if you do fear Allâh."''
  
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[19] ''(The angel) said: "I am only a Messenger from your Lord, (to announce) to you the gift of a righteous son."''
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[19:19] ''(The angel) said: "I am only a Messenger from your Lord, (to announce) to you the gift of a righteous son."''
  
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[20] ''She said: "How can I have a son, when no man has touched me, nor am I unchaste?"''
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[19:20] ''She said: "How can I have a son, when no man has touched me, nor am I unchaste?"''
  
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[21] ''He said: "So (it will be), your Lord said: 'That is easy for Me (Allâh): And (We wish) to appoint him as a sign to mankind and a mercy from Us (Allâh), and it is a matter (already) decreed, (by Allâh).' "''
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[19:21] ''He said: "So (it will be), your Lord said: 'That is easy for Me (Allâh): And (We wish) to appoint him as a sign to mankind and a mercy from Us (Allâh), and it is a matter (already) decreed, (by Allâh).' "''
  
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==Virgin Conception==
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==Virginal conception==
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For many Christians today, the virgin conception of Jesus virtually hinges upon belief in an act of supreme obedience - to a (mystical) ''annunciation'' — (by Mary), beyond reason, beyond any kind of scientific theory or reality.
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For many Christians today, the virginal conception of Jesus virtually hinges upon belief in an act of supreme obedience by Mary, beyond reason, beyond any kind of scientific theory or reality.
  
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Some Christian writers have tried to show that the verses in Luke 1:34:35, containing the account of conception through the Holy Spirit are [[interpolated]] (or inserted/added later) or that the origin of the virgin conception derives from "myth" and/or from heathen hero worship. Some leave it to be "merely" of Judaic origin (Isaiah 7:14, Behold a Virgin shall conceive, etc.) postulating that Luke may have taken his knowledge of the event from an older account, written in Aramaic or Hebrew. The words: "Blessed art thou among women" (v. 28; KJV), are considered spurious as they are taken from the later verse 42, the account of the Visitation (with Elizabeth). There is, as well, the opinion that Joseph at the time of the Annunciation was an aged widower and Mary twelve or fifteen years of age, founded upon apocryphal documents. The local tradition of Nazareth pretends that the angel met Mary and greeted her at the fountain, where she fled from him in fear; but he followed her into the house and there continued his vital message. <ref>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01541c.htm The Annunciation - Catholic Encyclopedia]</ref>
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Other Christian writers hold that the verses in Luke 1:34:35, containing the account of conception through the [[Holy Spirit]] are [[interpolated]] or that the origin of the virginal conception derives from pagan myth and and heroic legends. Still others suggest that while the Annunciation may have taken place at Nazareth, the conception itself may have taken elsewhere. The Reverend [[Sun Myung Moon]], for example, indicates that it took place at the home of Zechariah in the hill country of Judea, where Mary obediently traveled immediately after receiving the annunciation. Reverend Moon identifies the father of her child—motivated indeed by an act of the [[Holy Spirit]]—as Zechariah himself.
  
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Nevertheless, certain constants (of faith) remain among most Christians, in particular, as regards the Annunciation to Mary.
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Nevertheless, certain constants (of faith) remain among most Christians, in particular, as regards the Annunciation to Mary. [[Pope Benedict XVI]] stated: "The Annunciation is a humble, hidden event that no one saw or knew, except for Mary. But at the same time it is a decisive moment in the history of humanity. When the Virgin said ‘Yes’ to the Angel’s Annunciation, Jesus was conceived and with Him began a new era in history, which was eventually sanctioned by the ‘new and eternal covenant.”<ref>[http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=8824&size=A#  ''Pope: the Annunciation, Mary’s and the martyrs’ “Yes”'' Vatican; Benedict XVI] in AsiaNews.it </ref>
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As [[Pope Benedict XVI]] of the [[Roman Catholic Church]] has stated:
 
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"The Annunciation is a humble, hidden event that no one saw or knew, except for Mary. But at the same time it is a decisive moment in the history of humanity. When the Virgin said ‘Yes’ to the Angel’s Annunciation, Jesus was conceived and with Him began a new era in history, which was eventually sanctioned by the ‘new and eternal covenant.” “In fact, Mary’s Yes was the perfect reflection of that by Christ when he came into the world as one can read in the way the Letter to the Hebrews interprets Psalm 39: “Then I said, 'As is written of me in the scroll, Behold, I come to do your will, O God' (Heb 10: 7).” The Son’s obedience mirrors that of the Mother and thus, thanks to the meeting of these two “Yes”, God was able to take a human form. Since it celebrates a central mystery of Christ, His incarnation, the Annunciation is also a Christological event."<ref>[http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=8824&size=A#  ''Pope: the Annunciation, Mary’s and the martyrs’ “Yes”'' Vatican; Benedict XVI] in AsiaNews.it </ref><ref>[http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/travels/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_20000325_nazareth_en.html Homily of John Paul II - Mass in the Basilica of the Annunciation]Nazareth, Israel; Saturday, March 25, 2000</ref>
 
  
 
==Notes==
 
==Notes==

Revision as of 05:59, 11 December 2007


A key piece of the Paleologan Mannerism - the Annunciation icon from Ohrid.

The Annunciation, also known as the Annunciation to Mary, is the announcement or proclamation to Mary, the mother of Jesus by the archangel Gabriel that she would conceive a child to be born as the Son of God. Annunciations were also given to several parents of sons in the [[Hebrew Bible]], as well as to Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist in the Gospel of Luke.

Christian churches, particularly within the Orthodox and Roman Catholic traditions, celebrate the Annunciation to Mary with the feast of the Annunciation on March 25. Since it occurs 9 months before the birth (or Nativity) of Jesus on Christmas Day, the Annunciation also marks the actual Incarnation of Jesus Christ. The date of the Annunciation also once marked the New Year in some places in the Christian world, including England (where it is called Lady Day). The traditional location of the Annunciation is in the town of Nazareth, Israel, where is currently located the Church of the Annunciation. The feast of Annunciation has been celebrated since the fifth century CE.

Annunciation in the New Testament

In the New Testament, the official account of the Annunciation to Mary is narrated in Luke 1:26-38 (NIV):

The Annunciation, by El Greco (1575)
“ In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God." "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

”

After hearing this words, Mary left immediate to the home of Elizabeth and her husband, the priest Zechariah. There she remained for several months, retuning to Nazareth visibly pregnant.

Annunciation in the Hebrew Bible

The Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament, records several annunciations. An annunciation was given by an angel to the Egyptian slave Hagar in Genesis 16:7-11 prior to the birth of Ishmael {Genesis 16:7-11}. God himself announced the birth of Isaac to his father Abraham in Genesis 17:15-16. Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau, receives a prediction from the Lord regarding the birth of her twins in (Genesis 25:23). In addition, an angel prophesies to the mother of Samson concerning the miraculous conception and birth of her son (Judges 13:5).

Finally, in Isaiah 7:14 a prophecy is given of concerning the birth of a child called Immanuel: "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin {young woman} will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." Christians see this prophecy as having been fulfilled at the time of Jesus. However, Jews insist that the context shows that Immanuel was born in Isaiah's day, since the prophecy was delivered to King Ahaz of Judah and was fulfilled while this king was still living (Isaiah 7:17).

Traditions concerning the Annunciation

File:Damiane4.jpg
The Annunciation, mural from Ubisi, Georgia

Although the Annunciation is a key event to most Christian, the feast of the Annunciation has an especially important place in Eastern Orthodox theology, in which Mary is referred to as ("god bearer"). In addition, the feast of the Annunciation in the Greek Orthodox Church also marks a day of national celebration in Greek and for those of Greek descent, as it was on March 25, 1821, that Greece officially declared its independence after 400 years of rule by the Ottomans.

The date of the feast of the Annunciation is close to the vernal equinox, as Christmas is to the winter solstice. Because of this, the Annunciation and Christmas were two of the four "Quarter days" in medieval and early modern England, which marked the divisions of the fiscal year (the other two were Midsummer Day, or the Nativity of St. John the Baptist—June 24—and Michaelmas, the feast day of St. Michael, on September 29).

The first historical allusions to the feast are in a canon of the council of Toledo (656), and another of the council of Constantinople "in Trullo" (692), forbidding the celebration of all festivals in Lent, excepting the Lord's day and the Feast of the Annunciation. An earlier origin has been claimed for it on the grounds that it is mentioned in sermons of Athanasius and of Gregory Thaumaturgus, but both of these documents are now considered spurious by critical scholars.

A synod held at Worcester, England (1240), forbade all servile work on this feast day.

Two churches in Nazareth

As Mary was reportedly living in Nazareth at the time of the Annunciation, the place of the event has become a matter of some importance as well as controversy. There are two churches in Nazareth, each operated by a different Christian denomination, each believing their church to be the location of Gabriel's visit:

The Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth
  • The Basilica of the Annunciation: This is considered the most impressive architectural and artistic monument in the town of Nazareth. It is a Roman Catholic basilica, built over a crypt which encloses the Grotto of the Virgin where one tradition states that the Annunciation occurred. It is the latest of five churches on this site. The first was built in 365 C.E. by St. Helena, the mother of the Emperor Constantine I. The fifth, a Franciscan church, was dismantled in 1955 to make room for the present basilica which was completed in 1969.
  • Church of St. Gabriel: This complex is composed of a church together with the site known as Mary's Well. Some of the New Testament Apocrypha indicate that the well was the actual location of the Annunciation. The church was completed in the middle of the eighteenth century by the Greek Orthodox Church.

In the late 1990's there was considerable tension between the Christian and Muslim inhabitants of Nazareth over a plan to build a mosque on a plot of land adjacent both locations (though closer to the Basilica), but owned by a Muslim trust. In the end, the Israeli government advanced a compromise for the plot of land, a purported sacred burial site of Sha'ab El-Din, a nephew of Saladin. [1]

Annunciation in the Qur'an

The Annunciation to Mary is also cited in the Qur'an, in chapter 3 (Aal 'Imran) verses 45-51 and chapter 19 (Maryam - Mary) verses 16-26.[2][3] While these passages recognize Mary as the virginal young woman chosen to be the mother of the promised Messiah they omit any reference to Jesus as Son of God, a doctrine contrary to Islamic doctrine.

[3:45] (Remember) when the angels said: "O Maryam (Mary)! Verily, Allâh gives you the glad tidings of a Word ("Be!" - and he was! i.e. 'Isâ (Jesus) the son of Maryam (Mary)) from Him, his name will be the Messiah 'Isâ (Jesus), the son of Maryam (Mary), held in honor in this world and in the Hereafter, and will be one of those who are near to Allâh."

[3:46] "He will speak to the people in the cradle and in manhood, and he will be one of the righteous."

[3:47] She said: "O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me." He said: "So (it will be) for Allâh creates what He wills. When He has decreed something, He says to it only: "Be!" - and it is.


[19:16] And mention in the Book (the Qur'ân, O Muhammad (peace be upon him) the story of) Maryam (Mary), when she withdrew in seclusion from her family to a place facing east.

[19:17] She placed a screen (to screen herself) from them; then We sent to her Our Ruh (angel Jibrîl (Gabriel)) and he appeared before her in the form of a man in all respects.

[19:18] She said: "Verily! I seek refuge with the Most Gracious (Allâh) from you, if you do fear Allâh."

[19:19] (The angel) said: "I am only a Messenger from your Lord, (to announce) to you the gift of a righteous son."

[19:20] She said: "How can I have a son, when no man has touched me, nor am I unchaste?"

[19:21] He said: "So (it will be), your Lord said: 'That is easy for Me (Allâh): And (We wish) to appoint him as a sign to mankind and a mercy from Us (Allâh), and it is a matter (already) decreed, (by Allâh).' "

Virginal conception

For many Christians today, the virginal conception of Jesus virtually hinges upon belief in an act of supreme obedience by Mary, beyond reason, beyond any kind of scientific theory or reality.

Other Christian writers hold that the verses in Luke 1:34:35, containing the account of conception through the Holy Spirit are interpolated or that the origin of the virginal conception derives from pagan myth and and heroic legends. Still others suggest that while the Annunciation may have taken place at Nazareth, the conception itself may have taken elsewhere. The Reverend Sun Myung Moon, for example, indicates that it took place at the home of Zechariah in the hill country of Judea, where Mary obediently traveled immediately after receiving the annunciation. Reverend Moon identifies the father of her child—motivated indeed by an act of the Holy Spirit—as Zechariah himself.

Nevertheless, certain constants (of faith) remain among most Christians, in particular, as regards the Annunciation to Mary. Pope Benedict XVI stated: "The Annunciation is a humble, hidden event that no one saw or knew, except for Mary. But at the same time it is a decisive moment in the history of humanity. When the Virgin said ‘Yes’ to the Angel’s Annunciation, Jesus was conceived and with Him began a new era in history, which was eventually sanctioned by the ‘new and eternal covenant.”[4]

Notes

  1. ↑ Unrest in Nazareth; Christian-Muslim dispute over holy site tempers spirit of season;San Francisco Chronicle; December 25, 1999
  2. ↑ Quran, Aal-E-Imran, Chapter 3
  3. ↑ Quran, Maryam, Chapter 19
  4. ↑ Pope: the Annunciation, Mary’s and the martyrs’ “Yes” Vatican; Benedict XVI in AsiaNews.it

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Balay, Diane Huie. The Man from Nazareth: The Life of Christ from the Annunciation to the Resurrection in a Series of 24 Chancel Dramas. Abingdon Press; Spiral edition (July 1997). ISBN 978-0687053186.
  • Braaten, Carl E. and Jenson, Robert W. (Editors) Mary, Mother of God. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (June 2004). ISBN 978-0802822666.
  • Editors of Phaidon Press. Annunciation. Amazon Remainders Account (September 25, 2000). ASIN B000FILLNC.
  • _____________________. Annunciation (Art). Phaidon Press; New Ed edition (November 1, 2004). ISBN 978-0714844473.

External links

All Links Retrieved November 8, 2007.

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