Annunciation
Annunciation of the Lord, latin annuntiatio Domini, even Annunciation (in Annuntiatione beatae Mariæ Virginis ) is a festival on March 25, which is celebrated in many Christian denominations. It has also been Conception of Christ (, Conception of Christ '), formerly Ancilla ( maid [ God ]') called. It is celebrated the promise of the birth of Jesus to Mary.
Biblical tradition of the Feast
On this day the Church celebrates the Gospel of Luke (Luke 1:26-38 EU) event shown: The angel Gabriel comes to Mary to Nazareth and announces her the birth of her son Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. " And so the child will be called holy, the Son of God" ( Lk 1.35 EU). This announcement is also understood as the moment of conception, according to the biblical principle that when God speaks, happens, what he says (see Genesis ) - the virgin birth is considered as a separate mystery.
Mary answers: " Behold the handmaid of the Lord; done to me according to your word " ( Lk 1,38 EU, " Ecce ancilla Domini, fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum ", hence the old name of the festival to Latin ancilla, maid ').
In German translation of the angel says to Mary: "I greet thee, Mary," The word used at this point in the original Greek of Luke's Gospel χαιρε ( chaire ) literally means: Rejoice, be glad; this was the usual greeting among the ancient Greeks. The normal greeting in Hebrew was שלום ( Shalom ), which literally means peace. In the Latin translation of Luke's Gospel here the word ave is used, this means literally about it will be well with you and was a common greeting among the ancient Romans. The words of the New Testament are an invitation to joy.
The central importance of this saving event for Christians also comes in prayer the Angel of the Lord ( Angelus ) expression that has the Annunciation of the Lord to the object of observation. The scripture is also the basis of the prayer Hail Mary ( Ave Maria).
Calendrical definition
The festival date is from the liturgical date of Jesus' birth, December 25, derived (nine months earlier) and has Christmas character. If, as the last time fall in Holy Week or the Octave of Easter on the following in 2013, March 25, the festival will be on the first day after the Octave of Easter (2013, this was the 8th of April) laid, as both the Kartage as well as the days of the Octave of Easter liturgical attire a higher rank and therefore "crowd out" the festival. The festival considered the incarnation of the Son of God and therefore is one of the Lord festivals.
The Feast in the confessions
In the Orthodox Church the feast (under the Greek name Εὐαγγελισμός / Euangelismos, thus proclaiming the Good News ) to the twelve major feasts counts. The third antiphon of the liturgy expresses the mystery out hard: "Today is the beginning of our salvation and the mystery of eternity is is revealed. Son of God, the Virgin and Child Gabriel brings the Good News of grace. With him we cry to the Theotokos: Rejoice, full of grace! The Lord is the feast is Postponed with you. ' " No way, but there are special liturgies association for each of the movable holidays, may coincide with the Annunciation. Even on Good Friday the appropriate liturgy is celebrated with Eucharist in this case. In the Greek Orthodox Church and the other neukalendarischen Orthodox Churches the feast of the Annunciation, however, can no longer coincide with the Kar and Easter days because it as a fixed holiday after the Gregorian calendar almost identical Orthodox calendar, the moving holidays like Easter but committed according to the Julian calendar. ( The difference between Orthodox and Gregorian calendar makes its appearance only in the year 2800, the Orthodox calendar is in the length of the year a more accurate approximation to the tropical orbital period of the Earth is when the Gregorian calendar. ) According to the Catholic liturgical calendar of the regular Roman rite is it ( beatae annuntiatio Mariae virginis ) a gentleman hard ( annuntiatio Domini ), in the extraordinary rite is celebrated as a Marian feast. Even evangelical churches like the member churches of the Evangelical Church in Germany, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod noted the date in your calendar, Martin Luther called it "one of the fürnehmsten festivals ".
In the Anglican Church, the festival is also celebrated.
Patrozinien, works
The Patrozinien Annunciation Church - main church is the Basilica of the Annunciation at Nazareth.
Johann Sebastian Bach wrote a cantata for the day: How lovely shines the morning star, BWV 1 He also extended the dedication of the cantata King of Heaven, would be welcome ( BWV 182), which was originally written for Palm Sunday.