5th Sunday of Lent

03-22-2026Pastor's CornerFr. Bob Deehan

This Wednesday, March 25 is the feast of the Annunciation, the day we celebrate the Virgin Mary’s assent to become the mother of the Messiah and when she conceived Jesus in her womb. This is exactly 9 months before the celebration of the birth of Jesus at Christmas. On this day, the Church celebrates two great mysteries: Mary’s “fiat,” her free and total act of trust in God to be the instrument by which God would bring about His plan of salvation for the whole human race; and the moment when the Godhead first took on human flesh and became incarnate within the womb of Mary.

Though Jesus entered the world in a more visible way at his birth in Bethlehem, He had, in fact, already been present on earth for nine months. The Incarnate God submitted Himself to the hidden process of biological development through which every human being passes, thus sanctifying the life of every child and every life from the moment of conception.

In his encyclical, Evangelium Vitae (“The Gospel of Life”) published in 1995, Pope John Paul II saw this feast day as an ideal opportunity to highlight the dignity of life from conception, and to advocate for the protection of unborn children. In 1999, this day was officially acknowledged in Argentina as a day in celebration of the value and dignity of every human person from the moment of conception, and in remembrance for those unborn children who have lost their lives to abortion. Currently, Argentina as well as Guatemala, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Peru, El Salvador, Uruguay, Spain, Brazil, Austria, Slovakia, Ecuador, Cuba, Chile, and the Philippines, now recognize this day as International Day of the Unborn Child. Though celebrated in conjunction with the feast of the Annunciation, the International Day of the Unborn Child is not exclusively Catholic or Christian. Any pro-life group, whether affiliated with a faith or not, is welcome and encouraged to participate in local events or form their own events to celebrate human life. Some ways you can mark this day are by offering a Mass, Rosary or Hour-Hour for the unborn. Allow the Feast of the Annunciation to take on special significance as you recognize it also as the International Day of the Unborn Child. God bless you!