April 7 is the fixed date for the Armenian Church’s celebration of the “Annunciation to the Virgin Mary”—the story of Mary’s acceptance of her role as the Mother of God. The Gospel tells the story of how she was visited by an angel, who assured her that “With God, nothing is impossible.”
The Annunciation commemorates these tidings which the Angel Gabriel brought to Mary. It is part of the fulfillment of the Messianic prophecy and plan, and the most important event in Mary’s life. According to the teachings of the Armenian Church, with her acceptance the Holy Spirit entered Mary, and she became the vessel in which God was incarnated.
Interestingly, the date given for the Annunciation to Mary, and therefore the conception of Jesus, falls nine months before the Armenian Church’s fixed date for the celebration of Christ’s birth: January 6.
Read the story of the Annunciation at Luke 1:26-38:
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you!”
But she was much perplexed by his words, and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”
The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.”
Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Above: Detail from “The Annunciation,” an illumination in a 13th-century Armenian Gospel, painted by an artist in the style of Toros Roslin.