Today Thursday 25 March is a bright pause in Lent to look ahead nine months to Christmas.

If Christmas is on 25 December so 25 March must be the Annunciation. On this day we recall the Virgin Mary being visited in her Nazareth home by an angel and informed that she would give birth to a son to be called Jesus.

Whilst confined to our home we can think of the modern basilica in Nazareth which covers the site of Mary’s home or Loreto in Italy where the front of the house is now preserved within another church.

Another focus today can be the custom now established in Lebanon and France where Christians and Muslims meet together on The Annunciation to honour Mary and strengthen friendship.

Next week we shall think of Mary at the foot of the Cross.