The Feast of the Annunciation to The Blessed Virgin Mary by the Angel Gabriel

Truth 

has 

sprung up 

from the earth 

and 

righteousness 

has 

looked down 

from heaven. 

Annunciation Antiphon on Psalm 85 

I’m up and at ‘em early - too many of those this week  - on a drizzly morning, but taking a friend to get a fasting blood draw. Being the Feast of  the Annunciation I wanted to get a verse and post it. So I looked up the story (it’s only in Luke -startling, though I Must have known that!) and I chose something appropriate to the day. 

But the Little Voice whispered gently- “Do you chose a verse or  is it a gift?”  So I  went in to see what there was, and this antiphon just about knocked me over. I have used The Prayer Book  Daily Office, and so have read this antiphon, since before 1989, but I had never in my life really “gotten” the antiphon  itself  before - this day, TOday, truth has sprung UP from the earth, Righteousness had looked DOWN form heaven and the two have met in Mary and, to quote  John, "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us."  And to top it off, it’s in the past tense!  Have met, It’s done, whereas in the psalm itself, it is still a future promise. Now there’s the verse!