Annunciation of the Virgin Mary the Theotokos
 Appearance of Archangel Gabriel and the Holy Spirit
At the time of the Annunciation Mary was living in Nazareth and working at spinning the true purple for the veil of the temple. Joseph was away busy in his work of house-building along the seashore. Mary had left the house with a pot to draw water from the well. The she head a voice saying to her, “Rejoice, thou who are full of grace, the Lord is with Thee: thou art blessed among women. (Luke 1:28)” Mary somewhat startled looked about to see where the voice was coming from. Trembling she took the pot of water back into the house and took up her weaving again.
Scripture says, “And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be (Lk 1:29).” The Archangel Gabriel was a young man of great beauty and filled the room with light. Mary was already aquatinted with angelic faces was not terrified when he spoke to her but perplexed.
Then Gabriel said to her. “Fear not, Mary: for thou has found favor with God (Lk 1:30).” He went on saying, “And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call His name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of His father David: And He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end (Lk 1:31-33).”
Mary did not at first welcome this news as it seemed to be a forfeiture of her vow of virginity. And she knew she had not been with a man so wondered how this could be possible. She replied. “How can this be, since I do not know a man? (Lk 1:34)” Gabriel responds “The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; wherefore also that Holy One Who is born of thee shall be called Son of God (Lk 1-35).” Gabriel sensing hew wonderment goes on to tell her about the miracle of Elizabeth. “And behold, thy cousin Elizabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible (Lk 1:36).” Here Gabriel is reminding Mary that this birth is not of a man but of the Holy Spirit which can do anything. Therefore, she should not have any concerns of such a conception. It does not violate her vow of virginity. Mary then responds with the often heard words of obedience, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. Lk (1:38).” She shows that she sees herself as a handmaiden, or female servant, to God. Unlike Eve, Mary shows her obedience to God with these words.
 St Irenaeus says, “For as Eve was seduced by an angel’s talk to turn from God betraying His word, so Mary was given good news by the angel’s talk that she would bear God, and the latter was persuaded to obey God, so that the virgin Mary should become the advocate of the virgin Eve. And as the human race was bound to death by a virgin, by a virgin it was delivered: Virginal disobedience is balanced by virginal obedience.”
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