The Annunciation
The Future's Bright, The Future's Stefan! We really do have some amazing young men training for the priesthood at the moment. I have a friend, Stefan, an erudite soul, who is studying for the priesthood at the Venerable English College in Rome. He is currently on a placement in a parish and, as a seminarian, has to offer reflections at Mass from time to time. This is his reflection on the Annunciation, which he gave on Monday: Today we can be said to be marking the beginning of the Christian era. It is the moment at which the Divine nature joins itself to human nature. It is the moment which sets in motion the final chapter of our salvation history. It is, in no uncertain terms, the defining moment for all of us here. A lot of people might readily accept the existence of someone called Jesus, who was crucified by the Romans around the year 30 AD. The problem for them however, would lie in today’s feast: namely our belief that Jesus was conceived in Mary by the power of the...