The list of those who painted the Annunciation is like a who’s who of art: Da Vinci, Fra Angelico, Caravaggio, Botticelli and many more. The drama of the scene with the angelic announcement is picturesque. The problem is that the paintings might cause us to miss what is really important — the miracle of the ordinary. What could be more ordinary than a baby being born. We all have that in common. Yet this child being born changed everything. And, as the Annunciation demonstrates, God has chosen to let human choice determine how God is with us in the world. Mary’s “yes” echoes the Biblical saying: Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will. God counts on our “yes” to make God present today.
