the two-thousandth anniversary
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; hence, the holy Offspring to be born will be called Son of God." —Luke 1:35
Today we celebrate not only the solemn feast of the Annunciation and Incarnation of our Lord but also the two-thousandth anniversary of this central event in human history. This bimillennial anniversary of the Lord's Incarnation in this year of the Great Jubilee may well be one of the greatest events in our lives or even in history. Wouldn't it be just like the Lord to do more today than we could ever ask for or imagine? (Eph 3:20) Don't be surprised today if the Lord proves again the truth of the Archangel Gabriel's statement: "Nothing is impossible with God" (Lk 1:37). "Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it so much as dawned on man what God has prepared for those who love Him" (1 Cor 2:9).
If you're not sure that God wants to do the impossible and unimaginable today, "ask for a sign from the Lord, your God; let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky!" (Is 7:11) The sign will be so great that we will be awed in expectation of the miracle following it.
Get ready for an unprecedented day of grace. On this two-thousandth anniversary of the Lord's Incarnation, say: "I have come to do Your will" (Heb 10:9; Ps 40:7ff). On this feast of the Annunciation in this year of the Great Jubilee, pray with Mary: "I am the slave of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to Your word" (Lk 1:38, our transl).
Prayer: Jesus, I worship You incarnate, crucified, risen, and glorified!
Promise: "We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." —Heb 10:10
Praise: Praise Jesus, the Word made flesh! (Jn 1:14)
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Ralph J. Lawrence, July 28, 1999
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, August 3, 1999