Readings & Reflections: Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, March 25,2020

The Annunciation heralds the beginning of our salvation. By Mary’s obedient Fiat, the earth has become heaven. “In Jesus, God has placed, in the midst of barren, despairing mankind, a new beginning which is not a product of human history but a gift from above” (Pope Benedict XVI). We are Christians because of what God announced to the Blessed Virgin Mary. “Since it cannot be bought, in order for this salvation to enter into us we need a humble heart, a docile heart, an obedient heart like Mary’s” (Pope Francis). All that our heart cries out for became Flesh in Mary’s womb. When we repeat the words of the angel by praying the Hail Mary, the Word of God geminates in our soul. Christianity is this never-ending event of encounter with God made present in the maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Who is Mary according to Scripture?

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Opening Prayer

“Heavenly Father, you offer us abundant grace, mercy, and forgiveness through your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Help me to live a grace-filled life as Mary did by believing in your promises and by giving you my unqualified “yes” to your will and plan for my life.”  In Jesus’ Mighty Name, I pray. Amen.

Reading I
Is 7:10-14; 8:10

The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying:
Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God;
let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky!
But Ahaz answered,
“I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!”
Then Isaiah said:
Listen, O house of David!
Is it not enough for you to weary people,
must you also weary my God?
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us!’
The word of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 40:7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 11
R. (8a and 9a) Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Holocausts or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, “Behold I come.”
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

“In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!”
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

Your justice I kept not hid within my heart;
your faithfulness and your salvation I have spoken of;
I have made no secret of your kindness and your truth
in the vast assembly.
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

Reading II
Heb 10:4-10

Brothers and sisters:

It is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats
take away sins. For this reason, when Christ came into the world, he said:

“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
in holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight.
Then I said, ‘As is written of me in the scroll,
behold, I come to do your will, O God.’”

First he says, “Sacrifices and offerings,
holocausts and sin offerings,
you neither desired nor delighted in.”
These are offered according to the law.
Then he says, “Behold, I come to do your will.”
He takes away the first to establish the second.
By this “will,” we have been consecrated
through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all.

The word of the Lord.

Gospel
Lk 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Reflection 1 – I am the handmaid of the Lord.

“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”

Today we are all witness to the kind of submission and obedience we should have towards God’s Word and will. Our Mother Mary’s complete acceptance of God’s plan that she will conceive and bear a son and give Him the Name Jesus even if she does not know man is one true example we must follow as we pursue our walk with the Lord. When we submit our lives to God’s will, we allow God to sanctify us and we become more like Jesus. Submission to God develops within us a humble heart and can only bring us many blessings.

Obedience and commitment are two key principles for spiritual success. When we submit our lives to God we are actually telling Him that we are ready to obey His commands and we are committed to His cause. To submit to God may be a difficult task to pursue but it can be done with His grace. It is oneness with our Lord Jesus Christ, a sign of holy allegiance, great internal strength, power, and peace.

Just what does submission to God entail?

Submission to our Lord would require that we re-align our lives according to His plan. Our Mother Mary had to adjust to the demands of the role God gave her to be Mother to Jesus. Likewise, being a Christian means we have to align our lives according to the norms and values that Jesus has set for us. We have to be properly aligned under God’s authority, His Word and His plan. Submission to God means saying to Him on a daily basis, “not my will but your will be done. ” It is saying with full conviction and determination that God will prevail in our lives despite everything that can befall us. It’s not our dreams, not our wants, not our plans but God’s plan that should prevail.

Submission to our Lord is total abandonment of one’s self to God’s control. It is our willingness to accept and go through trials in life, all for God and His glory.

When we submit our lives to God, we freely give ourselves in total surrender. We forget and set aside all our concerns that we may be able to give even more. Even in difficult times, we must continue to give ourselves with equal and constant generosity. When we give more and more of ourselves, we stand to lose our very own identity. But as we give up more of ourselves, God gives more of Himself to us. He fills us with a resilient strength far beyond our comprehension.

When we submit our wills to Jesus, we become more like Him and we begin to imitate Him. We start to speak His Words and walk along the paths of His will. Our will and His will become one and we are perfectly united. We become ONE with Him and the Father. He blesses us and bring us to beyond measure!

Direction

In total surrender submit to God’s will and obey His precepts.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, amidst trials and difficulties, give me the strength to submit my life to You. In Jesus, I always hope and pray. Amen.

Reflection 2 – You have found favor with God

How does God reveal his favor to us? In the psalms we pray, “Lord, show me a sign of your favor” (Psalm 86:17). In the Old Testament God performed many signs and miracles to demonstrate his love and mercy for his people, such as their deliverance from slavery in Egypt and the miraculous crossing of the Red sea on dry land (Psalm 78:43-53). When Ahaz, king of Judah and heir to the throne of David (735 B.C.) was surrounded by forces that threatened to destroy him and his people, God offered him a sign to reassure him that God would not abandon the promise he made to David and his descendants. King Ahaz, however, had lost hope in God and refused to ask for a sign of favor. God, nonetheless, gave a sign to assure his people that he would indeed give them a Savior who would rule with peace and righteousness (Isaiah 7:11ff).

God’s unfolding plan of redemption
We see the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy and the unfolding of God’s plan of redemption in the events leading up to the Incarnation, the birth of the Messiah King. The new era of salvation begins with the miraculous conception of Jesus in the womb of Mary. This child to be born is conceived by the gracious action of the Holy Spirit upon Mary, who finds favor with God (Luke 1:28). As Eve was the mother of all humanity doomed to sin, now Mary becomes the mother of the new Adam who will father a new humanity by his grace (Romans 5:12-21). This child to be conceived in her womb is the fulfillment of all God’s promises. He will be “great” and “Son of the Most High” and “King” and his name shall be called “Jesus” (Luke 1:31-32), which means “the Lord saves.” “He will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). The angel repeats to Mary, the daughter of the house of David, the promise made to King David: “The Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end” (2 Samuel 7:12-16, Isaiah 9:6-7, Luke 1:32-33).

How does Mary respond to the word of God delivered by the angel Gabriel? She knows she is hearing something beyond human capability. It will surely take a miracle which surpasses all that God has done previously. Her question, “how shall this be, since I have no husband” is not prompted by doubt or skepticism, but by wonderment! She is a true hearer of the Word and she immediately responds with faith and trust. Mary’s prompt response of “yes” to the divine message is a model of faith for all believers.

Mary believed God’s promises even when they seemed impossible. She was full of grace because she trusted that what God said was true and would be fulfilled. She was willing and eager to do God’s will, even if it seemed difficult or costly. Mary is the “mother of God” because God becomes incarnate when he takes on flesh in her womb. When we pray the ancient creed (Nicene Creed) we state our confession of faith in this great mystery: “For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit, he became incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and was made man.”

Trust and yield to God’s grace
God gives us grace and he expects us to respond with the same willingness, obedience, and heartfelt trust as Mary did. When God commands he also gives the help, strength, and means to respond. We can either yield to his grace or resist and go our own way. Do you believe in God’s promises and do you yield to his grace?

“Heavenly Father, you offer us abundant grace, mercy, and forgiveness through your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Help me to live a grace-filled life as Mary did by believing in your promises and by giving you my unqualified ‘yes’ to your will and plan for my life.” –Read the source: http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/2020/mar25.htm

Reflection 3 – God prepared Mary

In the gospel passage just read, we heard: “Then the angel said to her: ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.’” A priest in New Mexico conducted a weekly Bible study with a group of scholars for several years. Those scholars were better known for their common sense, their cooking and their number of grandchildren than for their number of college degrees. Yet these scholars taught the priest far more than he ever taught them. But the scholars and the priest came to one very clear conclusion together. Every time an angel in Scripture tells you not to be afraid, you are in big trouble! God has something in mind for you to do that will not be easy.

The angel Gabriel told Mary not to be afraid, and then told Mary that she was going to have a baby. We are told by the Scripture that Mary was a virgin. She had not done anything that would cause her to have a baby. She was betrothed, which meant that she had a husband-to-be. Her husband-to-be would certainly be interested in the news Mary was going to have a baby. Mary may well have thought that she was in big trouble. But Mary said: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”

The Feast of the Immaculate Conception offers an explanation of how Mary came to be ready to say “yes” to God. Mary had been conceived without sin. She was conceived in the normal way, but in anticipation of the role she would be asked to play as the mother of Jesus, Mary was kept free from the effects of sin from the first moment of her conception. Mary could have said, “No.” She had a real choice and her choice made a real difference. Mary could say “yes” because God had been helping her to get ready for that moment, for this news, for what God would ask Mary to do.

The Feast of the Immaculate Conception also offers an explanation about something still happening today. God will never ask any of us to do anything without helping us get ready. We can say “no” to God, and God will always respect our free will. But God will always do what is necessary to help us when we say “yes” to God’s requests – just as God helped Mary.

We can be sure that God never asks any of us to do anything without some preparation. Things may seem at first a big surprise, even overwhelming. As God prepared Mary for her unique place in the human history, and God continues to prepare us and accompany us as we make our way through life. By the eyes of faith we can see that God is with us always.

When we gather around the Lord’s Table, we realize that we have found favor with God and have no need to fear! (Source: Fr. Hilarion Kistner, OFM, Editor, Homily Helps. Ohio: St. Anthony Messenger Press, December 8, 2008).

Reflection 4 – The Annunciation of Our Lord

The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you … for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.”…. Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. We call to mind that very important event that took place in the small town of Nazareth. The Angel Gabriel appeared to a young lady, Mary, and announced to her that she is the one chosen by God from eternity to bear in her virginal womb the Incarnate Son of God. When she responded, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word”, that very moment the great Mystery of the Incarnation was set in motion.

Not too many people give importance to March 25 or to this Solemnity. The 25th of December is what they celebrate with much gusto. What they fail to realize is that Son of God was made incarnate nine months earlier. The first moment of the Incarnation took place in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary when she accepted God’s plan with her ‘Fiat’.

That is why this feast is called the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. Although Mary is the central figure in this event, it is not really about her. It is the Lord Jesus’ feast since it is the first moment of his Incarnation: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (Jn 1:14).

This feast is all about God becoming a human being. He emptied Himself, from being the Creator to just becoming a creature. He became like us in all things, except sin, so that he can be with sinful humanity in a real and concrete way.

Saint Leo the Great describes this in precise words: “He took the nature of a servant without the stain of sin, enlarging our humanity without diminishing his divinity. He emptied himself; though invisible, he made himself visible; though Creator and Lord of all things, he chose to be one of us mortal men. Yet this was the condescension of compassion, not the loss of omnipotence. So, he who in the nature of God had created man, became in the nature of a servant, man himself.” (Office of Readings for the Solemnity of the Annunciation).

And what does this mean for us?

St. Cyril of Alexandria said, “He came down into our condition solely in order to lead us to his own divine state.” He further explains, “It follows, therefore, that He Who Is, The One Who Exists, is necessarily born of the flesh, taking all that is ours into himself so that all that is born of the flesh, that is us corruptible and perishing human beings, might rest in him. In short, he took what was ours to be his very own so that we might have all that was his.”

This simply means the deification of man. St. Augustine puts it: “‘For He has given them power to become the sons of God.’ (Jn 1:12) If we have been made sons of God, we have also been made gods.”

Through His Incarnation, Jesus made us God’s children. And as such, we are called to holiness and perfection: “Be perfect as the Heavenly Father is perfect.” This, then, is the central message of the Annunciation, the first moment of the Incarnation, the beginning of our salvation.

In this celebration, we cannot, however, disregard the fact that the Incarnation took place with the complete and unconditional cooperation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Son of God was conceived by the Holy Spirit in her virginal womb. God gave us His Son through Mary. Everything about Him as man came from her.

This, then, is Mary’s role of mediation, not parallel mediation, though – for Jesus is the only Mediator between God and man – but subordinate mediation. God gave Jesus to us through Mary. Conversely, we go to Jesus through Mary: “Ad Jesum per Mariam.”

On this Solemnity of the Annunciation, let us all be reminded of our sublime vocation and challenge to be holy as God’s children. In this endeavor, may we always be aware of the presence of the Blessed Virgin, helping us with her maternal love and protection. (Source: Fr. Mike Lagrimas, St. Michael the Archangel Parish, Amsterdam St., Capitol Park Homes, Matandang Balara, Quezon City 1119).

Reflection 5 – Celebrate Beginnings

You will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. —Luke 1:31

Many churches observe March 25 as Annunciation Day. It commemorates the angel’s announcement to Mary that she would be the mother of Jesus, the Messiah. In our success-oriented society, this festival is a needed reminder to recognize and rejoice at the beginning of God’s work in a person’s life rather than holding our applause for the accomplishments.

Because we often read Luke’s gospel at Christmas, we may forget that 9 months of trust and waiting separated Mary’s response to Gabriel from the birth of Jesus. When we read her words of surrender in light of this timespan, they take on added meaning: “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). Mary must have received great encouragement when her cousin Elizabeth told her, “Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord” (v.45).

We can celebrate beginnings by giving a hug or handshake to a new believer who professes faith in Christ. We can write a note of encouragement to a friend who has chosen to obey God’s Word.

Let’s grasp every opportunity to celebrate the beginnings of God’s work in the lives of others.

It takes but a moment of time
And minimal energy spent
To pass an encouraging word
To one who’ll be glad it was sent.

The human spirit soars with hope when lifted by an encouraging word (Source: Our Daily Bread, RBC Ministries).

Reflection 6 – In The Safe Hands Of God

Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” —Luke 1:38

At age 16, Madame Jeanne Guyon (1648-1717) was forced into an arranged marriage with an invalid 22 years older. She found her marriage to be one of utter humiliation. Her husband was often angry and melancholy. Her mother-in-law was a merciless critic. Even the maid despised her. In spite of her best attempts at devotion to her husband and family, she was subjected to relentless criticism.

Forbidden by her husband to attend church, she sought God in His Word and worshiped Him in secret. She learned that even in the midst of her dreary circumstances she was “perfectly fine—within the safe hands of God.” In her book Experiencing The Depths Of Jesus Christ, she wrote, “Abandonment [to Christ] is the key to the fathomless depths. Abandonment is the key to the spiritual life.”

How can we respond to difficult circumstances with acceptance and abandonment? Mary’s response to the angel in Luke 1:38 shows us. The only way to have that same attitude is to believe that God’s will is “good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2), and to lay down our will and patiently submit to Him day by day.

This can be our prayer: Let it be to me according to Your word.  — David H. Roper

When we’re abandoned to God’s will,
We need not doubt nor fear;
We’ll know that He is in control,
That He is always near. —Sper

He who abandons himself to God will never be abandoned by God (Source: Our Daily Bread, RBC Ministries).

Reflection 7 – The Call Of The Present

Let it be to me according to your word. —Luke 1:38

The life of the mother of Jesus was simple and plain. She did the tasks that others did at her age, learning how to be a good homemaker for her future husband. There was nothing out of the ordinary about her external life-at least not revealed in Scripture.

Yet what treasures of grace lie concealed in Mary’s attitude! When the angel announced that her child would be called “the Son of God,” she responded, “Let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).

Her answer contained all that our Lord requires-the pure, simple submission of the soul to His will. This was the secret of Mary’s deep spirituality: She abandoned herself to God’s will in the present and received the grace to do what God asked of her.

What is God asking you to do? It may be something magnificent, or something ordinary. It may be to respond actively to a command of Scripture, or to submit patiently to present suffering. “What God arranges for us to experience at each moment is the holiest thing that could happen to us,” commented the 18th-century writer Jean-Pierre de Caussade.

Are you able to accept each moment with grace and submission? Can you respond to the Lord as Mary said to the angel, “Let it be to me according to your word”?  — David H. Roper

May we learn the blessed secret
Of delighting in Your will,
Welcoming whate’er You send us,
Joy or sorrow, good or ill.  -Anon.

To know God’s will is a treasure; to do God’s will is a privilege (Source: Our Daily Bread, RBC Ministries).

Reflection 8 – Increasing your courage

Reflection 10 – Annunciation of the Lord

The feast of the Annunciation, now recognized as a solemnity, was first celebrated in the fourth or fifth century. Its central focus is the Incarnation: God has become one of us. From all eternity God had decided that the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity should become human. Now, as Luke 1:26-38 tells us, the decision is being realized. The God-Man embraces all humanity, indeed all creation, to bring it to God in one great act of love. Because human beings have rejected God, Jesus will accept a life of suffering and an agonizing death: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13).

Mary has an important role to play in God’s plan. From all eternity God destined her to be the mother of Jesus and closely related to him in the creation and redemption of the world. We could say that God’s decrees of creation and redemption are joined in the decree of Incarnation. Because Mary is God’s instrument in the Incarnation, she has a role to play with Jesus in creation and redemption. It is a God-given role. It is God’s grace from beginning to end. Mary becomes the eminent figure she is only by God’s grace. She is the empty space where God could act. Everything she is she owes to the Trinity.

She is the virgin-mother who fulfills Isaiah 7:14 in a way that Isaiah could not have imagined. She is united with her son in carrying out the will of God (Psalm 40:8-9; Hebrews 10:7-9; Luke 1:38).

Together with Jesus, the privileged and graced Mary is the link between heaven and earth. She is the human being who best, after Jesus, exemplifies the possibilities of human existence. She received into her lowliness the infinite love of God. She shows how an ordinary human being can reflect God in the ordinary circumstances of life. She exemplifies what the Church and every member of the Church is meant to become. She is the ultimate product of the creative and redemptive power of God. She manifests what the Incarnation is meant to accomplish for all of us.

Comment:

Sometimes spiritual writers are accused of putting Mary on a pedestal and thereby discouraging ordinary humans from imitating her. Perhaps such an observation is misguided. God did put Mary on a pedestal and has put all human beings on a pedestal. We have scarcely begun to realize the magnificence of divine grace, the wonder of God’s freely given love. The marvel of Mary—even in the midst of her very ordinary life—is God’s shout to us to wake up to the marvelous creatures that we all are by divine design.

Quote:

“Enriched from the first instant of her conception with the splendor of an entirely unique holiness, the virgin of Nazareth is hailed by the heralding angel, by divine command, as ‘full of grace’ (cf. Luke 1:28). To the heavenly messenger she replies: ‘Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word’ (Luke 1:38). Thus the daughter of Adam, Mary, consenting to the word of God, became the Mother of Jesus. Committing herself wholeheartedly and impeded by no sin to God’s saving will, she devoted herself totally, as a handmaid of the Lord, to the person and work of her Son, under and with him, serving the mystery of redemption, by the grace of Almighty God” (Vatican II, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, 56).

Read the source:   http://www.americancatholic.org/features/saints/saint.aspx?id=1333

SAINT OF THE DAY
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Mary: A Biblical Walk with the Blessed Mother – The Annunciation