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The Annunciation is recorded in the Gospel of Luke 1:26-38

It is where the angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will be the mother of the Son of God, Jesus the Christ. Mary is not passively engaged by God. After Gabriel explains to her how this event will be accomplished, Mary actively cooperates with God's plan by devoting herself totally, as the handmaid of the Lord, "to the person and work of her Son, under and with him, serving the mystery of the Redemption, by the grace of Almighty God." (Navarre Bible Commentary). At the words of her consent, the Son of God takes form in the most pure womb of the virgin Mary.

"The annunciation of Mary and the incarnation of the Word constitute the deepest mystery of the relationship between God and men and the most important event in the history of mankind: God becomes man, and will remain so forever, such is the extent of his goodness and mercy and love for all of us. And yet on the day when the second person of the Blessed Trinity assumed frail human nature in the pure womb of the Blessed Virgin, it all happened quietly, without fanfare of any kind. St. Luke tells the story in a very simple way. We should treasure these words of the Gospel and use them often..." (Navarre Bible Commentary).

I will cover a few of the major points to be considered in this passage with links to other sites which offer a more in depth analysis and discussion on the topic.

The angel Gabriel greets Mary with the words, "Hail, full of grace!" or also translated "Rejoice, you who are highly favored!" or some variation of the foregoing. The Greek word "kekaritomene" is here translated as "full of grace" or "you who are highly favored". "It is the perfect participle of the verb which means "to endow, to grace." This bespeaks an action completed in the past, and relevant to the present. A slightly better translation might be "Hail, you who have been transformed in grace" or "Hail, you who have been fully graced." The word "kekaritomene" is used nowhere else in Scripture. It is used [here] as a title." (Steven Kellmeyer) This is one of the passages in scripture which indicate that by a singular and unique grace of God, Mary was saved from the stain of any and all sin so that she would be the most pure and worthy Ark of the New Covenant.

As is the case with all those that are truly humble, Mary is perplexed by the praise she receives from the angel. Gabriel comforts her and tells her that she will be the Mother of God by reminding her of the words of the prophet Isaiah concerning the coming of the Messiah.

Mary does not doubt the angel's words, but she is concerned how this prophecy will be fulfilled through her since she is a virgin. This is an indication that Mary must have made some kind of vow to God to remain a virgin during her life for His sake (the sake of the kingdom of God), otherwise there is not much point in asking the question. Since she was betrothed to Joseph, if she was intending on engaging in natural marital relations, why wouldn't she naturally assume that the conception of the Messiah would take place in that fashion? But she does ask the question, which indicates that she must have determined to remain a perpetual virgin.

Gabriel explains to Mary that the conception of the Messiah will take place in a supernatural way. The Holy Spirit will come upon her. The power of the Most High God will cover her. The language used here is similar to the language used by Ruth to Boaz when she asks him to take her as his wife. She asks him to spread his cloak over her. (Ruth 3:9). This is what Gabriel is saying that the Holy Spirit will do to Mary. He will come upon her, overshadow her, cover her. In other words, the Holy Spirit will be Mary's supernatural Spouse. God will be the Father of the Child to be conceived in her womb. The Holy Spirit will enter into a supernatural marriage with Mary so that the Child to be conceived and born of her is not an illegitimate Son.

To indicate the truth of what he is saying, Gabriel then gives Mary a sign that she can verify. Her elderly cousin Elizabeth who is beyond childbearing age, has conceived a child and is now in her sixth month. Though all that the Angel has told Mary may seem impossible, nothing is impossible for God.

Once Mary learns God's plan she responds with prompt obedience and humility. "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word."

"At the enchantment of this virginal phrase, the Word became flesh" (Bl. J. Escriva). From the pure body of Mary, God shaped a new body, he created a soul out of nothing, and the Son of God united himself with this body and soul: prior to this he was only God; now he is still God but also man. Mary is now the Mother of God. This truth is a dogma of faith, first defined by the Council of Ephesus (431). At this point she also begins to be the spiritual Mother of all mankind. What Christ says when he is dying - 'Behold, your son . . . , behold, your mother' (Jn 19:26-27) - simply promulgates what came about silently at Nazareth. "With her generous 'fiat' [Mary] became, through the working of the Spirit, the Mother of God, but also the Mother of the living, and, by receiving into her womb the one Mediator, she became the Ark of the Covenant and the true Temple of God" (Paul VI, Marialis cultus, 6)