A Catholic friend was explaining to me the virtues of the Virgin Mary—that she was highly exalted by God, and how amazing her annunciation was.

“The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin” is the moment when the angel Gabriel told Mary she could conceive and become pregnant with Jesus.

My friend went on to point to Denise Levertov’s Poem of the Annunciation. Levertov suggested we all have our own annunciations in life. Whenever we are presented with the opportunity to “undertake great destinies,” it’s like a little annunciation.

I thought that comparison did not go far enough. Here is what I wrote:

“I think our annunciation is even more literal than that. Every unbeliever is presented with an annunciation similar to Mary’s—do you want Jesus to live in you, too? If so, will you believe in Jesus for eternal life? (John 3:16, 36; 5:24; 6:47). That’s the one condition. Those who believe in Jesus for what He promises, receive eternal life. And here’s the amazing thing. As Jesus revealed to the disciples in the upper room, it turns out eternal life is not a thing they have, but a Person who has them! It turns out that Jesus Himself is the life He gives to believers (John 1:4; 14:6; 1 John 1:1-2)! Hence, Paul could say “it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal 2:20). Christ lives in every believer! But where Mary’s pregnancy lasted for 9 or 10 months, by contrast, Jesus lives in believers forever and ever.”